In Agnone bronze has sung for nearly seven centuries: the Marinelli foundry — active, tradition holds, since 1339, among the world's oldest family firms — casts bells as in the Middle Ages, with wax, clay and a "pour" that is still a collective rite, blessing included. The Pontifical title, since 1924, makes it bell-maker to the popes.
The historical museum tells of bells for basilicas, earthquakes and jubilees; in the workshop, the Marinelli brothers work in plain view.
Our tip: phone ahead for guided-visit times (the workshop is alive, not a set) and, if you land on the right day, ask about the pour: watching a bell being born is a rare privilege. On 24 December, the 'Ndocciata fire festival completes the journey.
