On the day of the fusion, the furnace is heating the bronze to 1200 degrees celsius, Pasquale Marinelli controls the canals where the molten bronze will be poured to fill the bell moulds buried in the casting pit.
The fusion takes about 2 minutes to complete. A local priest performs a benediction for the bells during 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.
