Agnone: The Art of Sound

Agnone is a small city in the province of Isernia located in the Molise region of Southern Italy. Famous for their architecture and  foremost known for the manufacturing of bells by the Marinelli Bell Foundry. The Marinelli Bell Foundry is known as Italy's oldest family business and among the three oldest family businesses worldwide.

Marinelli Bells On the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Marinelli family produced the last bell to be hung on the leaning tower of Pisa. Among other Italian Landmarks, the Marinelli family also produced bells for: Mariano factory in the city of Pompeii, in Monte Cassino (which was then destroyed in 1944 during world war II), in 2000 they presented the Jubilee Bell to Pope John Paul II that was hung in St. Peter's Square.

The Marinelli Bells have a worldwide presence and can be found in: the United Nations in New York City, Beijing, Jerusalem, South America and South Korea.

The first bell was constructed in the year 1000. It's artwork requires ability knowledge and passion and the Marinelli family, throughout the decades have proven to keep up to such ability.

A day trip to Agnone is a wonderful experience not only for the cities beautiful architecture view, ,which is totally fascinating by how the homes are structured upon a hill, also how the cities 13 churches highlight its beauty, and not to rule out the art and medieval history which also play an interesting role.

Let's not forget the star attraction: The Marinelli Bell Foundry and Museum; where you actually can learn how bells are made and learn about all the artwork involved in producing a bell and mainly understand it's history. You will have the opportunity to actually see old family documents and bells and the families past relationship with Pope John Paul XXIII, Pio X1, and John Paul II.

Inside the museum you will also have the opportunity to visit their library, their archive, a production theatre that will show a small video production on the artwork involved in producing each bell. The museum is open daily but closed on Sundays. The Museum offers only guided tours.

So when you think of church bells ringing, memorial bells, large or small bells, they possibly come from this small and well run foundry


Images credit: Google