Syndicat d'Initiative
de Cerfontaine
de Cerfontaine
1885
Hippolyte Caussart in Anhée, in his workshop.
Bronze.
The church of Cerfontaine has two large bells in its beautiful crenellated bell tower.
The first one weighs 1275 kilos. It is dedicated to six different saints: St. Amand, St. Philip, St. Peter, St. John, St. Bartholomew, and St. Matthias.
This bell sounds the note "D♯".
The second bell is slightly lighter than the other and is dedicated to Our Lady of Beauraing. It sounds the note "F".
This bell was removed by the Germans in February 1944. During this period of World War II, the German industry suffered from the Allied blockade and lacked raw materials to build their weapons or vehicles. The order was then given to requisition all available metals in the occupied territories, including the church bells.
In Cerfontaine, only this bell was removed. A hole was made in the church's roof by the German soldiers. Using powerful ropes, this bell of more than a ton was brought back to land before being sent to Germany.
Fortunately, it was found in a train in 1945. Thanks to the circular inscriptions on the bell, it was able to be returned home in 1948. Unfortunately, it had suffered some minor damage, so it was recast, renamed "Marie", and put back in place on December 26, 1948.
These bells still ring and do so in two different ways:
The bell is one of the oldest instruments in history, probably dating back to the Neolithic period.
However, the first metal bells date back to the Bronze Age in Asia, before spreading throughout the world, in Africa, Europe, and even Pre-Columbian America.
Bells regulate daily life, both secular (indication of the hours and times in the schedule) and sacred in villages: matins, Angelus, Mass, vespers, marriage, baptism, funeral, death knell. Bell ringing accompanies and marks the ceremonies and processions inside and outside buildings. One can speak of a rich and varied language of bells.
Church bells were often used as a warning system for danger with the alarm, for a death with the death knell, or for an important event. Religious use could differ from civil use, depending on the type of bell or location (civil bells, carillon...).
The bells are often located in the bell tower of the church, a high tower that carries the sound far. The isolated round or square tower next to a church is called a bell tower. It can also be called a carillon when it comes to bells for public use.
In many southern regions, you will find enclosed bells, but exposed to the elements in sometimes very artistic wrought iron cages on top of these towers, they are also called bell towers.