L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 4 W hen I was a child, I loved the s o u n d o f c h u r c h b e l l s . M y g r a n d m o t h e r would explain to me what each different ring meant— whether it was calling people to Mass, announcing a wed- ding, or marking a solemn e v e n t . F o r m e , b e l l s w e r e always associated with hap- piness, Sunday feasts, and s p e c i a l m o m e n t s . M a n y years later, when I lived on the Ligurian coast, I found myself once again charmed b y b e l l s : m y s m a l l a p a r t - ment, just a stone's throw from the sea, was next to a c h u r c h , a n d e v e r y s e a s o n brought with it a different melody— Easter melodies, Christmas carols, liturgical hymns. The tiny village where I was born and the town by the sea where I used to live a r e n ' t e x c e p t i o n a l i n t h e attention paid to bell-ring- ing. In fact, they are part of a long and revered tradi- tion, that of campanolo- gy, widespread across many European countries, includ- ing Italy and Spain. T h e t r a d i t i o n o f b e l l - r i n g i n g i n t h e B e l p a e s e d a t e s b a c k m o r e t h a n 1 4 centuries, and developed in strict connection with the country's religious, social, a n d c i v i c l i f e . B e l l s h a v e been long used as a means of communication, signaling everything from church ser- vices to emergencies, feasts, and even political events. T h e i r o r i g i n s , h o w e v e r , stretch much further back. T h e e a r l i e s t b e l l s appeared in China in the 8th century BC, used in religious r i t u a l s a n d a s p r o t e c t i v e charms against evil spirits. In ancient Rome, small bells (tintinnabula) were used in public spaces to announce t h e o p e n i n g o f m a r k e t s , public baths, and religious processions. The first clear mention of Christian use of bells comes from a 5th-cen- tury letter describing monks being called to prayer by a " s o n o r o u s b e l l . " B y t h e M i d d l e A g e s , b e l l s h a d become an integral part of church life, and by the 14th century, cities like Milan had hundreds of bell towers. But, back then, bells were not only religious instru- ments but also played a civic role—in 1263, Milan's civic government even cast a bell for official public announce- ments. And when necessity struck, centuries later, bells performed their patriotic duty when thousands were m e l t e d d o w n f o r w e a p o n production during World War Two. But what about today? To be honest with you, I had always thought of bell- ringing as something deeply traditional, nostalgic even. But recently, I came across an article in The Times that m a d e m e r e c o n s i d e r t h i s view. The piece discussed h o w b e l l - r i n g i n g i s u n d e r g o i n g a r e v i v a l a m o n g y o u n g p e o p l e i n Italy, particularly in Lom- bardy, where the Feder- a z i o n e C a m p a n a r i Ambrosiani, an associa- tion dedicated to preserving the art of bell-ringing in the Diocese of Milan, has been attracting large numbers of Gen Zers to its ranks. More t h a n h a l f o f t h e F e d e r - a z i o n e ' s 5 3 m e m b e r s a r e under 30; some of them are t e e n a g e r s w h o n o t o n l y practice bell-ringing regu- l a r l y b u t a l s o r e c o r d a n d share their performances on social media, drawing thou- sands of followers. F o u n d e d i n 2 0 0 9 , t h e Federazione works to safe- guard historic bell-ringing techniques, particularly the A m b r o s i a n s y s t e m , which is unique to northern Italy. Their activities include training new generations of bell-ringers, conducting his- torical research on bells, o r g a n i z i n g c o n c e r t s , a n d leading guided tours of bell towers. But the key focus of their work is advocating for the dual system, so that, even as bells become electri- fied, the ability to ring them manually remains intact. The Federazione also collab- orates with churches, local authorities, and historical preservation groups to doc- ument and protect Italy's rich campanological her- i t a g e , e n s u r i n g t h a t c e n - t u r i e s - o l d t r a d i t i o n s l a s t into the future. Intrigued, I reached out to Corrado Codazza, one o f t h e f o u n d e r s a n d t h e coordinator of the Feder- azione, to learn more about this fascinating world. Cor- r a d o t r u l y e m b o d i e s t h i s lifelong dedication to bell- ringing: he is passionate and knowledgeable, and his love for bells even extends to his own home, in Milan, where he has installed a small bell tower, complete with four cast bronze bells. He kindly agreed to an interview with L ' I t a l o - A m e r i c a n o , t o share insights into the histo- Echoes of tradition: Italy's campanari and the sacred craft of bell ringing FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Members of the Federazione "at work." To note, the weight of the bell: 2,436 kg, almost two and half tonnes! On the right: have you ever seen a church tower from this perspective? (Photo courtesy of Federazione Campanari Ambrosiani)

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