The bells of Notre-Dame de Paris

The history of the ten bells - eight benjamines   and two bourdons  - that make up the l’ensemble campanaire   is inseparable from that of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.

As one of the oldest instruments of sound, bells have been associated with Christianity since its earliest days. Their primary function has been liturgical, providing a rhythm to the passing hours since the Middle Ages, as they call the faithful to gather and pray.

As early as the end of the 12^th century, when the building of the cathedral was still far from complete, an archive document mentions the ringing of bells before services. This set of instruments grew over the centuries, in step with the life of the building and its influence.

During the French Revolution, the bells of Notre-Dame and the Marie bourdon were lowered, broken and melted down. Fortunately, the Emmanuel bourdon, the centrepiece of the ensemble, was spared!

Today, it makes one of the most beautiful sound in Europe. Since 1686, at the top of the south tower, it has been ringing the cathedral's great hours, from the great liturgical feasts to the key events of the diocese of Paris and the Church.

But it is also intimately associated with the French nation, and since its founding has celebrated many high points: major royal events (Te Deum), the end of conflicts (including the first and the second World War in 1918 and 1945), national funerals, and so on. It can also be heard thundering when believers and people of goodwill gather at Notre-Dame for prayer.

To mark the 850^th anniversary of Notre-Dame de Paris in 2013, a new set of eight bells for the north tower and a bourdon for the south tower were installed alongside the Emmanuel bourdon. Since then, the cathedral has regained the soundscape it had in the Paris skyline at the end of the 18^th century.