THE BELLS OF BARGA

Visiting the cathedral bells of Barga is an unforgettable Sunday morning experience

Quattro Archi is very close to the cathedral or 'duomo' in Barga and the bells in the spectacular cathedral tower are part of the character of Barga. I suspect that you need to have been born in Barga to fully understand all the nuances of bell ringing culture, etiquette and calendar. But never-the-less there is a great opportunity for visitors and locals alike to experience the bells in a way you have probably never seen before......moving at speed towards you just about a meter from your head!

On Sunday mornings it's possible to climb the bell tower and see the local bell ringers disengage the mechanical bell ringing mechanism and take over for 15 minutes of campanilic glory. The three beautiful bells are each of a different size and mounted alongside each other at the top of the bell tower. They are all different ages but the smallest appears to be the oldest.....from the 16th century.

The final crescendo produces a continuous loud tone which seems to make not only your chest vibrate, but the entire duomo. It was this experience which inspired the lino cut below, created by Jane Richardson.

Barga bell ringers