I would like to ask why there are not so many bells in the American churches.
Few weekends ago it was the "monument day" and I lined up by chance for visiting the upper part of the town cathedral, which I discovered hosts one of the oldest and biggest swinging medioeval bells of the world.
The bell itself is really impressive - not wrongly called "Gloriosa". It weights more than 11 tons, has a diameter of 2,5 meters and is 2,6 meters high. Basically, more than 10 people could sit crouched in it on the floor. It still chimes in particular occasions, about ten all year around, perfectly functioning. Since 1497 the Gloriosa could be heard up to 30 km far away to signalize danger, celebration or mourning with its sound used as a code. And, it sounds is said to be so beautiful and particular to be almost a legend.
I tried listening to it on one of the special days from an apartment 500 m away from it, and I did not hear anything. My colleagues explained me then that the noise level of the town is now too high and the bell sound gets lost in it, not being able to cover it. I will have to go to the church to hear it on the next particular day.
Besides all this, the guy taking care of the bell and telling us its history and duties had an admirable enthusiasm. He explained how in the Medioevo bells were particular important as communication media, and how now they have lost all of their importance and even many techniques for molding them got lost. We do not have trace of how people knew at that time how thick the bell had to be, or which shape it had to have in order to obtain a particular note with a beautiful sound.
Apparently, many churches in the US do not have such historical bells, and if, very little ones. I came up with the explanation that probably, at that time, the urge for building bells for some practical purpose might have already been less (no enemies from neighboring countries, or the villages being just too far apart), or simply the inhabitants, just emigrated from Europe, had other priorities - like not to starve - than building bells.
Nevertheless, it is amazing how many objects are losing their purpose, and even becoming so obsolete to be rare and then fascinating again, as they are unknown although they were actually one of the most obvious elements of our communities until not long ago.
Some American friends told me with a point of envy and curiosity, they have never heard a bell for real, only recorded ones. They should go to some older German city and take a church tour!
Few weekends ago it was the "monument day" and I lined up by chance for visiting the upper part of the town cathedral, which I discovered hosts one of the oldest and biggest swinging medioeval bells of the world.
The bell itself is really impressive - not wrongly called "Gloriosa". It weights more than 11 tons, has a diameter of 2,5 meters and is 2,6 meters high. Basically, more than 10 people could sit crouched in it on the floor. It still chimes in particular occasions, about ten all year around, perfectly functioning. Since 1497 the Gloriosa could be heard up to 30 km far away to signalize danger, celebration or mourning with its sound used as a code. And, it sounds is said to be so beautiful and particular to be almost a legend.
I tried listening to it on one of the special days from an apartment 500 m away from it, and I did not hear anything. My colleagues explained me then that the noise level of the town is now too high and the bell sound gets lost in it, not being able to cover it. I will have to go to the church to hear it on the next particular day.
Besides all this, the guy taking care of the bell and telling us its history and duties had an admirable enthusiasm. He explained how in the Medioevo bells were particular important as communication media, and how now they have lost all of their importance and even many techniques for molding them got lost. We do not have trace of how people knew at that time how thick the bell had to be, or which shape it had to have in order to obtain a particular note with a beautiful sound.
Apparently, many churches in the US do not have such historical bells, and if, very little ones. I came up with the explanation that probably, at that time, the urge for building bells for some practical purpose might have already been less (no enemies from neighboring countries, or the villages being just too far apart), or simply the inhabitants, just emigrated from Europe, had other priorities - like not to starve - than building bells.
Nevertheless, it is amazing how many objects are losing their purpose, and even becoming so obsolete to be rare and then fascinating again, as they are unknown although they were actually one of the most obvious elements of our communities until not long ago.
Some American friends told me with a point of envy and curiosity, they have never heard a bell for real, only recorded ones. They should go to some older German city and take a church tour!
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