On the day of the fusion, the furnace is heating the bronze to 1200 degrees celsius. The priest Don Luigi Astarita recites the litanies for the blessing of the bronze just prior to the fusion.
Pontificia Fonderia di Campane or Pontifical Bell Foundry of the Marinelli family in the mountain village of Agnone in the region of Molise in southern Italy.
Twenty seven generations of the Marinelli family have been making bronze bells in the foundry for almost 1000 years, continuing the ancient artisanal techniques today.
