Do You Hear That Bell? Famous Bells Around The World

Do you hear what I hear? Is that a bell? There’s nothing quite as melodic as the sound of a bell tolling. For centuries bells have played an important role in societies across the globe. In fact there are many famous bells around the world.

So what exactly is a bell? A bell is a hollow instrument that makes a ringing sound when it is struck. The ring may be a variety of pitches or tones depending on the size and material of the bell itself. Bells can be dated back in civilization more than 5000 years. Over the years they have served in religious rituals, as a musical instrument, and to call a meeting of people together such as in a town meeting. In ancient times they were also used to warn people of danger.

There are many famous bells throughout the world. The Liberty Bell is by far the most popular bell United States. It was cast in London England at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry back in 1752. It cracked with the first ring and was then melted down and recast by two US artisans Pass and Stow. It was then recast in 1753 by the same artisans in hopes of improving the sound of the bell. Finally in June of 1753 it was hoisted to the belfry of the State House which is now called Independence Hall. 1839 was the first year the name “Liberty Bell” was actually documented in a poem.

The Lutine Bell can be found in the City of London in the Lloyds Insurance Office Lobby. It was recovered off a ship that sank off the Dutch Coast that was insured by Lloyds. The HMS Lutine was said to have been carrying millions of pounds worth of treasures but the only thing ever recovered from the ship was the bell back in 1860. Today the bell is rung whenever good or bad news is received.

The Tsar Kolokol is the biggest bell in the world weighing in at more than 200 tons. Way back in 1599 the father of the Moscow School of Founding, Andrej Chokhov, case the Kremlin Godunov Bell which weighed 38 tons. Since then it has been recast twice. The last time was by Mikhail Motorin in 1735 which brought the weight up over 200 tons. You will find the Tsar Kolokol in the high water mark of Russian Founding in the Kremlin.

Big Ben is the bell of the Great Clock found in the Palace of Westminster. It is the most famous bell ever cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry back in 1858 and named after Sir Benjamin Hall a member of Parliament. It is known around the world as “Big Ben.”

There are several other famous bells around the world! The Great Mingun Bell is the largest bell every made. The Great Tom is the bell that is rung most often and it can be found in Tom Tower of Christ Church in Oxford. Each night it is rung 101 times in honor of the 101 original scholars. In Wawel Cathedral in Krakow Poland you will find the Sigismund Bell which was cast back in 1520. It is rung only on very important occasions such as the deal of Pope John Paul II. The Pummerin Bell is found in Vienna and is the most famous bell in Austria.

The largest free swinging bell is the World Peace Bell which can be found in Newport Kentucky. It was cast in Cincinnati Ohio at the world famous Verdin Company in association with Paccard from France. International Day of Peace was founded back in 1981 to promote peace around the world and the bell was installed in 1999 as a symbol of freedom and peace around the world.

There are other important bells around the world but these are the most famous bells around the planet and they’ve earned that distinction over the years!

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.