Capanni Bells

Activities
The binomial tradition-novelty has ensured unquestioned fame to the Capanni bells. Their sonority and their timbre have guaranteed numerous world level recognitions. Maximum care is given to each example. Fusion is made with traditional methods, following antique "tricks" accumulated by the ages old experience of the family of founderymen. Furthermore production is done exclusively with wood furnaces, which are preferred over others, as wood does not pollute the purity of the bronze.
The balance between fundamental note and resonance effects determines a musical accord which produces optimal sound emissions, power, majesty and harmony.
Chimes of any type of tonality and weight are smelted, as are single bells and bells to be harmonized with others. Each fusion is characterized by specific signs, names, pictures and different artistic decorations based on the client's wish.

Bell manufacture.

Già nell'anno 1565 mastri fonditori di Castelnovo nè Monti si recavano a piedi al domicilio di pievi e cattedrali e stipulavano, progettavano ed eseguivano il loro lavoro. Essi sono i nostri progenitori, che ci hanno tramandato la conoscenza che ancora oggi consente al fuoco dei nostri forni di infondere al bronzo liquido un'anima antica, la voce di sempre e il sublime dell'arte. Nel 1846, Paolo Capanni, bisnonno dell'attuale titolare Ing. Enrico, rileva l'antica fonderia di campane "Betalli", in Castelnovo nè Monti dal 1500. Era l'inizio di un'attività che, osservando fedelmente la tradizione di fonderia, ha proceduto di pari passo con le esigenze dei tempi, dedicandosi alle ricerche nel campo dell'automazione e dell'elettronica. A partire dalla fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale ad oggi, vale a dire dopo la ricostruzione di numerose campane distrutte durante il conflitto, abbiamo fuso più di 22'000 campane. Vogliamo simbolicamente ricordare la realizzazione della Campana Internazionale dei Caduti a Rovereto (TN), che dopo quasi 40 anni è ancora perfettamente funzionante con la completa struttura originale, da noi fornita e mai sostituita. E'una delle più grandi campane del mondo, pesa 22 tonnellate e suona regolarmente cento rintocchi ogni sera.

Technique:
The first phase of bell creation is the construction of a model. The model is made of three parts: inner part, false bell and shell. The inner part is the inside of the bell. The inner part is covered till it has a smoothed surface called false bell. On it the wax bearing writings, pictures and the decorations is applied. Further clay is spread on the false bell till it reaches the last layer known as the shell.
The model thus obtained is baked with the cire perdue technique, which when it melts leaves the negative of the artistic composition impressed on the shell. The melted bronze is dropped into the free space which forms between the inner part and the shell, and is left to slowly cool down.
Having completed the mold the next procedure is to "melt" the bronze at a temperature of 1150/1200° C. The mold will be destroyed to extract the bell, which is therefore a unique and unrepeatable piece. The modeling phase is the most delicate and important. The possibility of giving the bell the foreseen note and the timbre variations depend on special practices used in the course of this procedure.
The family of founders have handed down from generation to generation the secrets which allow them to obtain clearer and more full-bodied sounds. The voice of a bell depends on its dimensions: the bigger and heavier it is, the deeper the sound will be. The average life of a bell is about 70-80 years, and it can easily reach a century and more.

Capanni Company