The Bells of Heaven

On the way from Sorrento we came straight across the Italian peninsula. We had one rest stop in the Apenine Mountains, and then enjoyed a most unusual excursion to a factory that has been making bells since the thirteenth century. The Marinelli Bell Company in Agnona is the second oldest family business in the world, and the foundry that provides all the bells for the Vatican. This company still makes artisan bells in the old way. They dig a hole in the ground, make the cast, and then fill the cast with molten bronze. After it cools they lift the whole assembly and chip away the part that they don’t need. The formula for the tuning of the bells was achieved in the 15th century. The size and shape of the bell, along with its thickness, determines the note the bell sounds. Small adjustments can then be made by shaving off metal to sharpen or flatten the pitch.Read more