| HISTORY |
Origin of Bells
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Bells have been an important part of many cultures for thousands of years, dating back as early as the second millennium before Christ, when bells were first made in China. From early civilizations in Egypt and Phoenicia to those in Macedonia, Greece and Italy, bells were used for a variety of purposes, including opening markets, announcing the beginnings of plays, and opening the Grecian baths. The first Christians adopted bell ringing as a call to mass; and also used bells to signal important events, such as the death of a bishop. The ringing of bells for this purpose was called “The Signum,” from the Latin “signum,” meaning to signal. According to tradition, Saint Paulin, the bishop of Nola in Campanie, Italy, introduced the use of bells to the church around the end of the seventh century. |
These early church bells were very small, and they were cast on site, close to the place where they were to be used. The bell casters, itinerant artists known as “Saintiers,” traveled from town to town casting and installing bells for local churches and monasteries, as needed.
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The advent of the railway in the 19th century allowed the Saintiers to abandon the traditional practice of on-site bell-casting. Instead, they built foundries and delivered bells to their clients by train. Prior to the First World War, there were more than one hundred bell foundries in France. Today only three are left, one of which is the PACCARD Bell Foundry. To learn more about the history of bells and the Paccard family legacy of bell founders, visit the PACCARD Museum.
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