The Bells of Montegaldella

Magic bells whose sound instils in people different reactions and feelings. Even the writer Mario Soldati stated this in his work: "How the bells ring".

I was awakened by a laud ringing sound. It came from the bells of Saint Peter’s bell tower which was very close by. I had arrived from Zurich the previous evening (….) It was now five thirty in the morning at the end of September: and the bells were ringing with a deep, long, pleasant, sound, many bells all together and they kept ringing lauder and lauder filling everything, even my thoughts, because, after they had awakened me, they would never stop (....) The bells were ringing for the glory of god; I do not know what feast it was, but they were ringing also to stir people’s conscience, to free them from the evil nights’ ghosts, to invite them to be good and send them forth to their daily work. 

They convey the same message also to the residents of Montegaldella, to tell them the passing of time, to summon them to church, to announce the most significant happenings of the day and the most touching events in one’s life.

On the 23rd of September 1563, on the occasion of the Pastoral Visit by Monsignor Girolamo Vielmo, our bells were mentioned for the first time: "He wrote: there is a tower with two bells…"

So twenty four years later, on the 22nd of October 1587, the two bells were also referred to by Bishop Federico Corner. Then on the 13th of August 1825, Cardinal Modesto Farina, during his pastoral visit, pointed out that there were two large bells and a small bell.

It was not an easy period for the bells, because, although the residents liked and wanted them, on the 17th of September 1819, the Imperial delegation of the county of Padua prohibited the ringing of the bells during thunderstorms and whirlwinds, under penalty of arrest, should this take place.

A change of the situation is reported in a historic document dated 1843 where it is stated the Foundry Cavadini of Verona received the order to cast three new bells, which weighed Kg. 1484 and were hung in the belfry. Unfortunately the belfry had to be demolished in 1860 as it was in a dangerous state.

The Congregation that still wanted to hear the peeling of their bell had the tower encased in a wooden frame and kept the three new bells still ringing.

In 1886, when the bells were hung in the new belfry, the small bell was mentioned once again. This detail is stated in the report, which Father Tommaso Franceschi wrote to Cardinal Giuseppe Callegari on the 4th of October.

In 1919 the largest bell unfortunately broke, so the community decided to have all of them melted down and have them recast. The work was done in 1920, and the new bells weighed 3505 Kg.; each individual bell weighed Kg. 1604, Kg. 1104,5, Kg. 7960. The price charged was £. 8,60 per Kg. for a total of £. 30143. As the metal of the old bells was used in the manufacture of the new ones, £.580 less 5% per Kg. was paid for them, so the cost was £. 8178.

The same foundry supplied also a cast iron frame for £. 8600. On the 28th of May 1920 his Eminence Monsignor Luigi Pellizzo, Bishop of Padua, consecrated the bells and on the 2nd of June, on the occasion of his Pastoral Visit, the bells were rung for the first time. 

The increasing numbers of Bellringers encourage a new Group to be formed. During the last World War in 1943 the Germans took away from all the villages, some bells to be melted down to use the metal for armaments. From Montegaldella three rather large bells were taken, but from the parishes of Montegalda and Cervarese Santa Croce only one was removed. This unpleasant episode saddened the entire community and caused a just reaction from the parish priest Father Lorenzo Nani who, as the bells were taken away said to the people removing them:

« You may take them away now, but they will soon be returned to us ».

In fact on the 8th of September of the same year the three bells were happily handed back to our village. Immediately, for fear that further stealing could occur the bells were buried in the vegetable garden of the Parish Church. The trouble of the bronze bells was not over yet, because towards the end of the ’70 they were found to be badly deteriorated. The three tenors, those cast in 1920, were in a bad condition and the largest two could not be rung after the year 1977. One of the bells had cracks even after it had been repaired and it was not safe to be rung as it could fall from the tower. The other bell also had deep cracks so some welding had to be done on the lower rim.  A further check showed that the bronze, previously used, was of poor quality, therefore the only wise thing to do was to have all the bells recast. This was a bold decision, which required much involvement and serious thought.

Two years later, the Pastoral Committee having taken into consideration the heavy cost that the heads of the families would have to meet, decided to purchase a new concert of bells. It was the beginning of the year 1979 and, besides the cost of the bell, the Parish was concerned because the Church needed to be repaired. It was decided to have the bells recast and to purchase a concert of six bells; the work was commissioned to the Foundry Daciano Colbachini e Sons of Brentelle di Sotto of Padua. 

At the end of April the six bells were removed from the belfry and sent to be recast, using their metal plus some new, as required. In the foundry the excitement was high; Mister De Facci Giuseppe a member of the Group of Bellringers of Monte Berico till 1968, and afterwards in charge of the School of Bellringers of Saint Mark in Vicenza, suggested to our surprise, to increase to nine the number of bells. 

His suggestion caused criticism and lively heated debate; nevertheless the residents settled the matter by contributing generously to the cost.

When the casting was over, some chemical analysis, a final test by the foundry’s workers and even further reports by well known experts and inspectors, who had been sent from the renowned School of Bologna, were carried out to ensure that the work had been very well done. The total cost of the recasting was £. 35.187.000.