Bell ringing for the annual festival

Bell ringing for the annual festival

On the evening of 20 September, the bells of the church of Santa Maria del Pi - Antònia, Andreua, Maria, Vicenta (or Esquella Gran), Josepa (or Esquella Xica) and Esquirol - will be ringing to signal the start of Barcelona's big annual festival. These are bells with a long history, one that dates back to 1508, and they’re the most highly valued in the city because of their age and the quality of the sound they produce.

Thanks to the Friends of the Pi Belfry Association, traditional bell-ringing (the Catalan ‘boga manual’) and the profession of bell-ringer have been revived, bringing a lost part of Barcelona’s intangible heritage back to the city. The bells of El Pi, noted for their historical and sonorous significance, have been chosen to welcome La Mercè, a well-deserved honour.

The peal of the bells will ring out in the streets of the Gothic Quarter to mark the start of the festivities with a sound full of history and tradition.