Cindi Emond: Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli

The pealing of church bells is emblematic of Italy. Bells alerted the birth, death or marriage of villagers. Warning of war, plague, or simply sunset for the fishermen to return home before dark. This was in a time before everyone had watches or our ubiquitous cellphones.

The Marinelli Bell Foundry in Agnone, Molise is the oldest family business in Italy and has been in the Marinelli family for over 1,000 years. Producing about 50 bells a year, with the Catholic Church accounting for approximately 90% of the orders, they have been granted the title ‘Marinelli Pontifical Bell Foundry,’ or the ‘Pontificia Fonderia di Campane Marinelli.’

Creating bells in the same manner dating back centuries using the lost wax casting, the foundry has steadfastly refused to introduce mass production molds. “Mechanization would be a failure,” say the brothers Armando and Pasquale Marinelli.

I was present to document the commission of five church bells. A priest was there to bless the bells before the pouring of the molten bronze into the molds, “la benedizione prima della fusione,” said “to help prevent the bells from cracking.” A little assistance from above.

The foundry continues to make bells the way their forefathers did, using wax, clay, earth and bricks and bronze to create the ‘sacred bronzes,’ a process that can take up to three months, retired Master Bell Maker, Antonio Delli Quadri explained as he took me through the museum.

The language around bell making is distinctly Catholic in influence. The brothers describe the bells not as being cast, but as being ‘born,’ and the inside of a bell is called the ‘anima’ or soul. This ancient trade requires an exact understanding of mathematics, physics, geometry and music to create a bell’s voice or strike note.

While there are both secular and religious orders for bells from around the world, the knowledge used to produce the giant bronzes is at risk of vanishing as modern society is becoming less religious. There are as few as five foundries remain in Italy.

Pictured is the foundry’s Master Bell Maker, Vittorio Lemme at work. Also pictured is a Marinelli Bell in the Tower of Pisa I went to photograph with the permission of Pisa’s Office of Artistic Patrimony.

The Marinelli Foundry has made a request to become recognized as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.