Roman Fountains Alexandriyskoe Highway, 7, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 198510
The fountains are called Roman because their appearance is copied from two fountains installed in St. Peter's Square in Rome. They are also often called Pyramidal, as their shape resembles two octagonal pyramids, as if growing out of each other. The construction of the two fountains was planned back in the early 1720s, when work was underway to create the Ruin Cascade (now the Ruin or Marble Cascade is called the Chess Mountain). According to the design by Nicola Michetti, the water jets were planned to be placed in the square in front of the Ruin Cascade. However, they appeared in the park in 1739 and were made of wood with lead-covered basins, designed by architects Blank and Davydov.
The work on laying the pipes was carried out under the supervision of fountain master Paul Sualem. At first, water came from a small reservoir located on the hill, then to increase the pressure, fountain pipes were laid to a newly dug reservoir — the Red Pond. The work was completed in the autumn of 1739.
In 1756–1759, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli prepared a project according to which the pyramids were planned to be rebuilt in stone. In 1763, they were moved eight meters further from the Ruin Cascade towards Montplaisir, installed on the axis of the Birch Alley (this alley connects Marly and the Chess Mountain square). However, the architect's plan was only partially realized: the basins and pedestals remained wooden, painted to look like marble, and only the foundation was made of stone. At the same time, the structures began to look monumental, and the carved wooden details gave them splendor and elegance.
Over time, the wooden structures deteriorated, and in 1797 a decree was issued to build the Roman fountains from granite and marble. The work was carried out under the guidance of architects Franz Brouwer, Friedrich Stengel, and Timofey Nasonov, as well as fountain master Fyodor Strelnikov. In 1798–80, the dilapidated "Roman fountains" were rebuilt from brick and granite with marble cladding. Wooden decorations were replaced with lead ones.
The work was completed by the summer of 1800. In 1817, according to drawings by sculptor Ivan Martos, new mascarons made of gilded bronze were created and installed on the lower octagonal basins. The fountains have been preserved in this form to the present day. Interestingly, the Russian artist Alexander Benois created a series of color lithographs depicting the Roman fountains.
Interestingly, the Russian artist Alexander Benois created a series of color lithographs depicting the Roman fountains.
In 1836, the poet Fyodor Tyutchev wrote about them:
O water jet of mortal thought,
O inexhaustible water jet!
What incomprehensible law
Drives you, tosses you about?
How greedily you rush to the sky!..
But an invisible fatal hand
Bending your persistent ray,
Throws it down in splashes from on high.
During the Great Patriotic War, the fascists damaged the marble cladding of the pyramids, destroyed the pools, and blew up the pipelines. The fountains were restored in 1949. Lost details, including lead decorations stolen by the German occupiers, were replaced with new ones in 1954.
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