How The World’s Oldest Bell Foundry Stayed In Business For Nearly 1,000 Years | Still Standing
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- čas přidán 16. 12. 2021
- Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli has been making bells since the Middle Ages. Their instruments ring out from iconic places like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Vatican. The workshop has survived nearly 1,000 years of wars and hardship, but it’s a crisis of faith that is putting pressure on the business today.
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How The World’s Oldest Bell Foundry Stayed In Business For Nearly 1,000 Years | Still Standing
As a metalworker, my greatest pride is that I can fabricate objects that will outlive myself.
Awesome to see an entire family that clearly also feels the same way.
@Mick Smith bruh why
I'm also a metalworker except most of the stuff I make gets worn out after a few months..................grain elevators + sheet metal = wear
@Mick Smith ?
@Mick Smith it matters how exactly
@Mick Smith are you mad? Why can't you tell me why you asked if they were American🤨
I'm glad this family of bell makers is continuing their traditional processes. As the young man said, he thinks about bringing in technology but is aware of his role in continuing the family tradition. Not everyone can say their family has had the same business for 27 Generations! That's remarkable.
Twenty Seven generations! That knowledge goes back CENTURIES and maybe even further beyond that! All the way back to european feudal ages and churches- think about that!
"not everyone" :) I'm pretty sure they're the only ones out of 8 billion people.
Their competitors probably can say they have been in business for 27 generation and because they modernized they will continue to be in business.
@@saberur66 Losing everything that made them what they are too.
@@Dayvit78 Nope. They're one of the older ones but you'd be surprised how many medieval family businesses survive to this day. Italy alone has two family owned businesses that were founded before these guys (an olive oil company and a glassblower's workshop) and loads that are just a decade or so younger.
The oldest family-owned business in Europe is a French winery, though the family lost it for a few years during the french revolution before requiring it so while the company has been going since then it wasn't family-run for the whole time.
The oldest family-owned business in the whole world is a Japanese Inn from the 8th century though. Until recently the oldest family company ever was an asian temple-building company from the 6th century, but they closed down a bit over a decade ago, ending a 1400+ year streak.
people who are apart of these generations that have a craft are so lucky. what i would give to feel connected to a job
26 generations can you imagine the pride
@@pinchevulpes can you imagine the feeling of knowing you have pretty much no choice in your future tho?
@@jamesbizs In the past the families likely had many children.
@@johnl.7754 yeah just to work. People back then had many kids so they make their kids work for free. That’s why farms have a lot of them.
Get into sewerage, people have been pooping since people were people. The satisfying smell of a job well done
The recent closure of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London was a terrible loss. I hope this foundry in Italy can survive.
@Lil Yeet why is that great
@@Tactix_se he meant that the foundry was great
@Lil Yeet not just an industry though its a heritage and an art
Ha ! Loughborough rules !
@Lil Yeet What an ignorant comment
As a Catholic, I hope and pray the Marinelli tradition of bell making continues for many more years.
I love listening to church bells. I grew up near our parish church, so the sound of ringing bells is part of my life.
I want a small handbell like he cracked out of the mold at 2:53
Me too, so peacefully
Church bells are some of the best and most glorious things to hear. Bellmaking is an art.
You can find bells everywhere but it's quite easy to forget how much hard work and craftsmanship goes into making one. Good clip!
@Lil Yeet I guess I'm lucky where I live, I have 3 locations within a 15min walking distance that have large bells. There's a church, the old city hall and the university that all have large bells that are still being used.
@Lil Yeet My town hall has an old clock tower with a bell that rings every hour, a roman Catholic school near me has a church that has a bell and my local pub has an old bell that they ring for last orders. There...3 bells near me
@Lil Yeet all temples clock tower
University schools in my city all have bells
The temples alone have like 10+ atleast from small to giant bells
i have worked in bronze sculpture foundries for about 8 years now. the foundry i am at currently is still expanding. it is incredibly satisfying to be able to go places and see sculptures you helped create.
Where did you work? There are only a few foundries in the US that still operate. I worked at one in Arizona.
@@Onemore59 i worked at new arts foundry in baltimore which has since closed down unfortunately.
and am currently working at a foundry out of loveland colorado
Do you make bells to??
Pls send me prices and sizes
GOD Bless This Foundry! It's my most sincerest hope that this Foundry doesn't go out of business. These people do such great work that will outlast them into the future. They do this out of love for the art that they practice and share.
Oh don't worry about that Italians care for their people and their bussiness.
@@pompey333 Yes, of course they do, ..just ask the mafia, drangetta, the Vatican and its child problems & money lauindering projects, & the northern league vs the south, Italy is a perfect example of modern corruption spread through everyday life and many local councils/sindicato.
That sons dedication to his family tradition and business Is heartwarming and inspiring. It's not just the craft that's held strong in that family for a millennium it's the values and upbringing.
“Bells had an important role in mass communication” was such a good opportunity for a pun considering they literally announced catholic mass with these bells.
Yeah! We still use these bells in Goa to announce the starting of a mass
Italy has so many gems.. one of those "must"countries one needs to visit in there lifetime
My family is from Agnone, Prov. Isernia, Molise. I have visited Agnone many times including the bell factory. Beautiful video, thank you.
My family, too. They emigrated to the US in 1908.
Super cool ! We need to preserve historical businesses like these.
Excatly. Start spending your money on bells...
@@themedicalmarvels Yeah lol, I mean it's a business, they themselves said it's completely dependent on the demand, how are we supposed to preserve that.
I mean if 90% of the business comes from the Vatican, why can't they just charge more? Is the Vatican shopping around for the cheapest bell or do they want the bell from 1000 year tradition?
@@Dayvit78 Well they did say everything depends on the demand, charging higher simply won't matter if the Vatican no longer needs any new bells.
Loon slavernij van d3 kerk die vullen het we op zij zijn helemaal geen families van elkander
I really hope this foundry does survive. If i lived in Italy, i would go buy one of their bells and do a tour. I love the history, what they stand for and as a catholic, this story hit close to home and made me cry.
As a metal craftsman i exctly know how they feel ( i am also the tenth generation in my family continuing this craft )
I know how difficult is to sustain this old craft. M glad that i come to this video encouraging me more to do the needful for the preserve the ancestral wisdom
Love from india ❤️
Do you make bells too?
Get me price of different sizes
I have been to this foundry. I didn’t know how famous they were until this video. I bought some small bells from them but I also asked to buy, but was given a metal S curve from the foundry floor. The older workman that gave it to me cried as something powerful passed between us. We speak different languages so I don’t really know why, but I think it was because he understood that in asking for the S-curve, it meant that I understood And valued and wanted to remember the hands on intense labor that went into their art. It was a moment in time that I will never ever forget. It hangs on my pot rack in my kitchen to this day.
There's no death for art in this world and will live on forever... Loved the way you have crafted everything from scratch to the final masterpiece using traditional methods.. kudos and love from India..
Every home should have a bell like this. They would be amazing gifts and that would renew the businesses.
Much respect for this art and wish this family of artisans all the blessings for the future.
i was actually surprised they were so cheap. these things are a work of art and take months and they cost $3000? handmade and forged? that’s not all that much at all. weird
@@readiboardii3873 But they themselves have said that the Vatican is 90% of their business. If they're the official bell maker to the Vatican, they need to charge more. Maybe they don't want to? Anyway, it sounds more like a marketing problem than a price problem.
3000 for a bell small enough to hang on your christmas tree, 100000 for a large church bell
if a 100 kg bell cost 3000 , maybe a Fa4 60 cm diameter , imagine how much could cost a La2 bell weigh over 3000 kg 180 diameter ?
I doubt that. 100kg bronze costs about half of that. They probably got something mixed up.
3000 euro bro not usd
Our parish recently bought a set of Marinelli bells for our new bell tower just a few years ago! The beauty, transcendence, and nostalgia they bring to our community is wonderful! We get neighbors of all faith backgrounds telling us how much they love these beautiful bells.
Stunning! Italian government should help them in preserving this.
The greatest thing you can do to help them is to purchase their products.
Won't happen, it's basically full communist with hatred of their own culture and people.
@@FloutchBW Italian government hates their own culture? Umm ok lol
Its useless. Bells calling the devil
@@mistermood4164
Governments working against their own people has become a bit of a trend in the past 115 or so years. Wonder why that is.
CZcams did it again, once every couple f months it will recommend something amazing that I would never have searched for in a million years. I wish Armundo and his family every success.
This is a very stable job in this company. Hard to find that nowadays.
Do you live in Africa?
Kid.
@Lil Yeet why you got to be a jackass about it ey?
Incredible. And in the example given, such a small price considering the months of work involved. Very impressive skills and amazing lineage.
It's wonderful to see Craftsman keeping traditional craftsmanship alive. These Bells are beautiful to the eye and the ear. Kudos marvelous just marvelous
I was born and raised in a small city .There were 3 churches . I can still hear those bells ringing in my mind every sunday calling the people to church .I miss that .
The world is going away from hand made art into Digital /computerized , if you see 100 year old construction vs now , you see the huge difference. The Italians are keeping the tradition ..just like Indians. Bravo.
Wonderful family business 1000 years of tradition. Amazing dedication to keeping the process done by hand as it was from the beginning is true master class. Glad they are expanding into other items for additional income while still using traditional methods so the quality and skills are continued and passes onto future generations.
The bells are very similar to ancient bells seen in the old temples of Southern India.
Amazing truly beautiful, so brilliant to see a 1,000year old company still doing it the original way. I pray the future generations keep it alive and the people find renewed faith to have many more churches and bells needed. May God bless there work!!
I, as a devout Catholic, must say that it truly hurts to never hear you closest parishe's bells playing. It's so beautiful, it's a quick reminder to stop your daily routine to pray the Angelus... It just feels like God Himself stopped your day to day life and said "hey, remember me, I'm here!!"
When the bells rang in this year's Easter vigil, all at the same time, the lights were turned on - Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat! - that was something else
That beginning when she said the problem is the Faith crisis... It's just so hard to hear
Its just amazing how someone can keep a tradition thats nearly 1000 years old
I’m a big fan of niche companies that say no to modernisation and let workers have great pride in their work.
Thank you, earlier this year I bought a set of special bells made in Russia. Always loved bells.
😊 *Hello friend, cn u gift me 1 follow* 🙏🙏🤲
I love this video! I never knew. Very impressed that they have been there for 1000 years. Hard to comprehend especially in this day and age of technology. Thank you for this information!
"Bells have always given meaning to human life." That's quite a statement. A truism. So true.
The phrase "subscribe and hit the bell button" hits a bit differently now.
Or the phrase "doesn't ring a bell"
@@justsomeguy5470 ugh, that’s stupid. That had nothing to do with CZcams or this video. The OP’s at least made sense
A 100kg bell for €3.000? I'd say they're undercharging to be honest I was expecting a 100kg to go for upwards of €15.000-20.000+...
Clearly they aren’t undercharging, seeing as how they are having a tough time finding customers as it is.
A 100 kg bell is not very big, it's quite small, but yeah it seems too cheap - maybe they got the price wrong in the show?
Agree with you, a 100kg bronze bell for €3000 is quite cheap considering current raw material pricing, time it takes to produce and amount of labour goes in making.
My family handcrafts utensils out of bronze, and it’s pretty damn labour intensive work.
Wonderful legacy by the family so far.
Would love to visit them one day. They did pretty smart thing by starting museum. Need to share your history, there are listeners. and younger one also starts sculptures. He wouldn’t need to worry about 29th and 30th generation if he goes in right path with this.
Bronze and clay is CHEAP! 3k for a medium sized bell seems reasonable.
I deal with bronze casting. A bell weighing 100 kg would cost $ 4,000
As an English change ringer, I think that this bell foundry is amazing. I would like to visit it one day to see how they cast bells compared to John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. I've been to John Taylor & Co in Loughborough before and it was amazing seeing a bell being cast. But this bell foundry is definitely older than John Taylor & Co in Loughborough.
The Bell Tower on UNC's campus has magnificent real bells.
It'd toll out the time dutifully but occasionally also play songs.
Those bells are beautiful.
😊😊😊
A treasure to human race 🔔
Wonderful! Grazie per mantenere la tradizione.
😊😊👍
It must be so strange doing a job that your family had been doing there for a thousand years, what an incredible link
I wonder if the bells of Notre Dame will have to replaced during the renovation. I fondly remember the bell ringer of Notre Dame lovingly showing and ringing each of the many bells when attending a demonstration in the bell tower.
This is probably the oldest contentious operating company in the world that still makes the same thing basically the same way that it did 1000 years ago.
And we think of a company that is a 100 + years old as it has been around for a long time .
Hopefully they will be there in another 1000 + years making bells the same way .
I think Japan has older ones too.
@@nimeshmendes4752
Zaibatsu roots are indeed deep.
I believe there is a Japanese construction company that’s been around a bit longer.
@@dominantdaddy6939 one or two, or more than a few, that makes the temple gates/arches 'Tori'
@@dominantdaddy6939 Kongo gumi, known for traditional Japanese Shinto temples but went out of business in 2008.
I love italians for that. They respect their ancestors crafting skills and continue evolving them. Family business like this is a true example of a true italian family.
This series is one of the favorites lately.
It reminds me of the show Mike Rowe used to do about dirty jobs.
😊😊😊👍
A beautiful and sacred sound. Always a joy to hear them during celebrations, or even to just tell time. It's both unique and quotidian.
I think it’s beautiful that he sketches bell ideas on a bell! Beautiful work and I hope that this art isn’t lost!
I grew up in the Italian alps. As a kid playing outdoors, I used to listen to the village's church bell to know when I needed to hurry home for lunch (it would ring at each hour: 10 times at 10:00, 11 times at 11:00, etc.. Somehow a much better memory than looking at my iPhone for new notifications
This is so cool. Their family business has extreme historical significance
The world can learn from people like this. True craftsmen!!!
I feel blessed to watch all these traditional family arts which holds history in themselves.. Thank you so much business insider.. All the best to this family.. 💐💐💐🙏🙏🙏
What it must feel like, to hear the bells toll - and know that part if you is in that sound.
Remarkable.
One of the most interesting, well-edited videos so far! Well done BI and everyone who worked on this video.
This is incredible! 😁
Thank you so much very sharing this lovely video!
I'm using it for a Geography lesson on the making a Bell!
Really enjoyed watching this excellent documentary!💛
The object of this business is not to make the most money, but to continue and to support the family. So many businesses rip off their customers and treat their workers badly so that the workers are not loyal, and the customers are also not loyal.
I truly hope there is a future where old businesses such as theirs are preserved the same way historical buildings are by the government, to help keep these businesses from sinking. I'd hope it continued as both a business and a center for learning, but protected by the government, so even if business dies down their craft can still exist within the historical sphere. The old ways are worth preservation, especially when their trade is what helped make their cities beautiful and timely for so many generations!
It is goodto see the ancient crafts still practiced. The British bell foundry that casted our Liberty Bell and the bells for Big Ben went under several years ago.
As a church bell ringer ,this is really interesting to see. Thanks!
It’s truly the measure of a human being to keep the tradition going for more than 1000 years.
.not of "A" human being. Think of how many generations it takes to keep that going for a thousand years ?
I was never good at math.
Beautiful, just beautiful. What a wonderful craft to have.
The guy tuning the bells once did it for a straight 24 hours, so he was awarded the No Peace Bell Prize
😉 🔔
Gee, Simon, that was funny.
Winner.
I understand that during the six years of the war, there was no Bell Peace Prize
I am so glad this beautiful art form is still alive and there are people that still believe in traditions. They are extraordinary bells 🔔 full of detail and love. If I was an investor this is one of the first art forms I would want to invest in. Helping save a families awesome legacy
You are awesome with the passion you put in your work !! I would be honored to have that type of passion for work !!! Stay in business for another 1000 years !
Beautiful skill set!!! Absolutely stunning!!!
For many generations you produce the most beautiful hand made bells, God bless you.
This series is captivating. Thanks so much.
Wow so amazing. Love to know the history and appreciate the craftmanship.
I’m glad that I suggested this to you in an older video and that you actually followed my suggestion! 🥰
This bell foundry business should receive an UNESCO heritage recognition
I’m an atheist but I’d love to have a small bell made by them because I appreciate their skill and sticking with traditional methods of their craft. Would definitely try to go there if visiting Italy one day
Amazing story. Thank you!
Italian is such a beautiful language
Очень интересная и трудоёмкая работа
The need to label it vintage register their name and tag it
hand crafted
And start a youtube channel with bell crafting videos in that foundry
PERFECT
Excellent thanks for sharing this
Absolutely amazing 👍
This is amazing they are preserving such an artform. Amazing
Long live this company 🙏
Amazing. What an epic story!
awesome content, thank you
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
I hear they stayed in business because it's easy to ring them.
I have no need for one, but I want to buy a bell from them now.
Bell making is an art and should never be stopped
Interesante video, miro y me instruyó. Muy educativo sus técnicas. Admiro su trabajo. Felicidades y saludos desde Panamá. Nosotros usamos las campanas en las iglesias católicas. Antes en las escuelas.
Definitely would love to visit the factory as a tourist.
Holy crap. This is incredible!
Nice to see these traditional crafts and business continuing to this date
That is so awesome 10 to 15 generations of people have kept this alive. It makes me think of Damascus steel a real Damascus not the stuff we make. I'm so glad that this is documented because we don't know how to make real Damascus steel. Masters of their craft die they take their craft with them. If anyone reading this knows an old ancient way of doing something please make a video or teach someone. Don't let your ancestors skills die with you. What a beautiful process I want to find one and buy one.
Incrivel! ❤
I love what he said that using handmade to make this beautiful bell is much more fulfilling
Bells ring out life and death. Keep the tradition going, they're is value in the art and honor in the job.
Wonderful insight into a genuinely passionate Italian family run business .These guys are magicians and they will surely survive many more centuries.Cheers from India 🇮🇳.
A good bell gives that nice ring, that really pleasing to me.
I've been 3d printing my bells for over 1000 years.