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Fontaine Basin

The Buckingham Fountain in Chicago ( Illinois , USA ).

Before drinking water, the fountains were decorative but also functional. Here: double Fountain St. Veit ( Austria ) in 1898.

A fountain is a building - usually accompanied by a pool - from which springs of water. A fountain may be natural in the sense of being fed by a source.

The fountains have been one of the hygiene factors, limiting the risk of cholera or diseases carried by sinks that might be contaminated by feces and sewage. Some fountains also played the role of drinker.

In Europe, the fountain Fontanier or sometimes referred to as the population was responsible for maintenance, repairs or unfreeze the fountain in winter.

The flowing water, raised by the song "A La Claire Fontaine ... "The noise of the jet of a fountain was reputed to soothe those who heard. I 's done very well with the fever to see paintings of fountains, rivers and waterfalls. If someone at night, can not get to sleep, he starts to contemplate the sources and sleep will come, "wrote the architect Leon Battista Alberti in his De Re aedificatoria. It's an even used as such in some parks and gardens in town.

Famous Fountains

the Jet d'eau in Geneva ( Switzerland );
the fountains of the Place Trafalgar Square in London ( United Kingdom );
the Wallace fountains , a symbol of Paris ( France );
the Trevi Fountain , a monument of Rome ( Italy );
the fountain of Ain El Fouara , landmark of Setif ( Algeria );
ponds and fountains in the park of Versailles ( France );
the big waterfall and fountain Samson Peterhof ( Russia )

Proverbs and idioms

Never say "Fountain, I will not drink your water"
To him who said: "I'm such a country," I reply, "What tree? And what fountain? " .
"Obsessions are fountains of youth. They terrify death " .