Breve recorrido por la historia de las fuentes. Orígenes, evolución y su relación con el hombre.

Fountains have been a constant in the life of men, from the oldest civilizations to the present day. The first fountains allowed access to the water that nature offers spontaneously, to meet man and domestic animals' basic needs. Then the first artifi- cial fountains arrived, built in villages, towns and cities, which for many years provided their inhabitants with the water they required, also serving as a meeting place and recreation. After them ornamental artificial fountains arrived, which were built in streets, squares and parks and in the inside of palaces and gardens, and served as an urban element that contributed to organise the landscape, softening and embellishing the environment. They can also be considered as a work of art, acquiring the purpose of artistic expression with their sculptures and architectural fountains, leaving the water that gushes from their fountains or falls through the waterfalls as a secondary ornament. The use of water as an element of architectural and urban composition has been present in all cultures and the fountain has been the most common modality. Its evolution is the result of man's use and behaviour with water, which since its inception has been conditioned by the technological level reached in each era. The article takes a quick tour through the history of fountains, from their origin to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]