A few years ago, my wife and I visited the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The tour guide made a point of showing us the pools (not filled, as I recall). She said that in the thirteenth century when the fortress was built, water equated with opulence. The more you could ostentatiously waste, the richer (i.e., more powerful) you obviously were. As the French say, Cuanto más cambian las cosas, más permanecen iguales."