Le campane di Orta San Giulio (NO)

The new church in the centre of Orta (Italy) was built in 1485 on the foundations of a very old medieval place of worship, founded by the priest Saint Julius in the 4th century. The church's small Romanesque bell tower was built in stone on the apse in 1505 and equipped with two bells. The two bells broke down over the centuries, the smaller one was recast in 1725 after the church was restored and the second in 1820. The two bells are only rung by pulling the ropes that reach into the church. d'' - e'' The small bell tower is accessed from some rooms at the back of the church and the passage to the tower is considerably narrow, so that only those who are very thin can get through. The largest bell has recently been restored by local people, after having been unsafe for decades. From the bell tower there is a magnificent view of the entire lake, especially on days when there is a lot of fog, which creates that sublime charm typical of our mountains. The video begins with the restoration of the church. We climbed up onto the scaffolding and saw at first hand the exceptional skill of the painters who painted this church, which is considered one of the greatest jewels of all art in the region. The church was inaugurated in the early 16th century and gained independence from the island's parish church in 1560, when it was dedicated to the Virgin assumed into heaven. The church was enlarged twice, the second time at the beginning of the 18th century when it went from Baroque to a remarkable Rococo style, as talented painters painted all the vaults, the apse and even the dome. The figures of Old Testament saints are entirely surrounded by armies of festive angels, painted magnificently. The gilded wooden high altar and choir are from the 17th century and house a magnificent mannerist Madonna from the 16th century. #italy #bells #church #bell #culture #landscape #catholic #catholicchurch #view #cinematic #lake #mountain #rain