Narrator: The oldest bell foundry in the world
has been using ancient techniques since the Middle Ages.
It takes at least three months to make a bell by hand,
and each one is unique.
The workshop has survived nearly 1,000 years
of wars and hardship.
But it's a crisis of faith
that's putting pressure on the business today.
We went to Agnone in southern Italy
to learn how this traditional bell foundry
is still standing.
The Marinelli family has been running the factory
for 26 generations.
Armando Marinelli sketches bell designs by hand,
the same way his ancestors did it.
Narrator: Very large bells are cast in a pit like this,
but it rarely happens nowadays.
That's because the foundry only operates
when there's demand.
But the process of making smaller bells
is pretty much the same.
Narrator: The bottom and the top cup create the shape of the bell.
The middle layer looks exactly how the final bell will look,
but it's made of clay,
so it will eventually be destroyed
to make way for the bronze.
They start off by building the bottom cup
using bricks and clay.
Narrator: It's a painstaking job to make sure the pile is level.
Then, a worker slathers it with clay
to create the middle cup, or what they call the false bell.
A wooden ruler called the strickle
sets the exact shape, height, and weight of the final piece.
This is the part that will be destroyed later.
But before we get there,
they have to bake the clay from the inside out
until it's solid.
While the false bell dries,
sculptors prepare the decorations.
They can use premade plaster molds or cast new ones.
They place the pieces of wax on the false bell.
Next, they apply more clay to form the top cup,
called the mantle.
It provides the outside shape of the bell
with the wax designs embossed into it.
Once this dries,
they lift the mantle to expose the false bell.
Then, it's finally time to destroy it
to make way for the bronze.
This is what a small-scale fusion looks like.
Larger bells need a lot more bronze.
Once the metal hardens,
they lift the mantle and reveal the final bell.
For smaller bells, they break down the mantle by hand.
The family's attention to detail
is clear when they forge the handle in iron.
Finally, workers like Antonio Delli Quadri
polish the finished bells until they shine.
Narrator: He's been working here for six decades.
And at 84 years old, he's technically retired,
but he takes pride in tuning the bells.
He also leads tours around the workshop.
On average, a 100-kilogram bell costs around 3,000 euros.
And since it takes months to craft a single bell,
they only make a few a year.
Narrator: The Marinellis still face competition
from other foundries who have modernized.
Many rely on heavy machinery and reusable molds.
Armando says he could modernize like this too,
but only as a last resort.
Narrator: When the family business started,
bells had a very important role in mass communication.
Narrator: Today, Marinelli bells ring from iconic places,
like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Vatican.
And it's this historical connection to the Catholic Church
that has kept the foundry running for so long.
The church has accounted
for about 90% of the foundry's business in recent decades.
In 1924, Pope Pius XI granted the Marinellis
an official recognition.
Narrator: And they've cast many celebratory bells over the years,
like the one for Pope John Paul II's millennium jubilee.
Narrator: But the foundry has also seen desperate times
throughout its long history.
Nazi troops occupied it in World War II.
Narrator: And then a fire in the 1950s destroyed the original foundry
and many of its historical records.
Now, in the 21st century,
Armando is looking for ways to keep the business afloat.
Narrator: Christianity's popularity is declining
in many countries across the world,
especially places like the US and Western Europe
that have historical Christian majorities.
With fewer churches being built, demand for bells is low.
Also, quality bronze bells like the Marinellis'
can last centuries.
So the family is diversifying.
They've created a museum inside the foundry
to attract more tourists.
They also take some lucrative sculpting jobs.
Armando's son, Ettore, is one of the foundry's sculptors.
Narrator: So for now,
he's sticking with making all these designs by hand.
Narrator: Overall, the family's focus is on creating art,
so the Marinellis have faith
that the timeless nature of their work
will help them survive.