Visit to Allanconi Fonderia Campana, Crema, Italy 
By Henry Lewis

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The visiting party: (L-R) Edward Lewis, Katherine Lewis, Francis Lewis, Peter Cornah, Henry Lewis, Camilla Lewis, Sue Cornah

On 17th Sept 2019, a small party of St Milburga’s church bell ringers visited Allanconi’s bell foundry in Italy http://allanconi.it/ to see the preliminary preparations for the casting our new bells. Dates were difficult to arrange with various commitments and our original thoughts had been to see the actual casting taking place. However, we decided that there was more to be seen if we went whilst the moulds were being prepared; after all, when they are cast, all you see is red-hot metal being poured into a hole in the ground! 
For most of us it was a short visit, leaving on the Monday, staying two nights then back again on Wednesday; some stayed the extra day. We flew to Malpensa airport, Milan, where we had pre-hired a minibus; this was waiting for us and we drove to Crema. Thanks to the members of our party who drove and navigated, we arrived an hour later at our accommodation without hesitation or deviation. That evening was our first opportunity to sample Italian food and this went down well with the local wine. 
The next day was sunny around 25 degrees C as we set off for our visit. The foundry was situated at Bolzone, just outside Crema. We arrived at the foundry at 10:00 and as we approached, the sliding gate opened and we were welcomed by Emanuele Allanconi, the owner of the foundry. The foundry itself was a spacious building where the moulds were prepared with furnaces and casting pit at one end. 
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After a brief glance in the foundry, we went into the first museum room where Emanuele explained his family tree going back into the centuries. It was clear that he had gained a great deal of knowledge from his grandfather. There was also a useful sequence of artefacts and diagrams explaining the 60 day process, from building the brick core of a mould, to the final polished bell. Here there were also a studio where the clay modelling for wax moulds was done; these are used for the ornamentation on the bells. At this stage the goose motif for our bells had not been made, geese being famously associated with the legend of St Milburga. 
We then went back for a longer look into the foundry where we saw the beginnings of the moulds for six of our bells.

Next was the studio for decorating the bells with the wax mouldings. There were many patterns and various scripts for setting out the inscriptions on the bells. Many examples of works carried out by the foundry were on display showing a wide range of artefacts other than bells. Opposite the wax workroom was a room containing the old tools used by Emanuele’s grandfather.

​At the end of our morning visit Emanuele suggested lunch at a restaurant fairly close to the foundry; when we arrived there was (miraculously!) a table for seven waiting for us. We had been entertained with a most interesting visit. We are most grateful to Emanuele for taking the time to show us round and explain the processes used for bell casting which were traditional but integrated with modern techniques. We hope he will be able to come to Stoke St Milborough to see them and perhaps join us on the day that they are dedicated. They will be the first complete set of bells in the English style to have been cast in Italy.  

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Update: On 28th October 2019, we received the news that the front four bells have been cast and on 30th October we received pictures of our new treble emerging from the mould. ​

​Go to Our Project to view these pictures.

Inscriptions on the bells

Inscriptions will follow a theme to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day by using eight selected lines from Tennyson's poem ‘In Memoriam: Ring out, wild bells’

Treble (Around top band)
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky     
 
Second (Around top band)
Ring out the old, ring in the new   
 
Third (Around top band)
Ring in redress to all mankind   
 
Fourth (Around top band)
Ring in the love of truth and right 
 
Fifth (Around top band)
Ring in the common love of good     
 
Sixth (Around top band)
Ring out the thousand wars of old    
 
Seventh (Around top band)
Ring in the thousand years of peace

Tenor (Around top band)
Ring in the Christ that is to be

   (...and around a second band)
   11th November 1918 - 11th November 2018  


Here is the poem in full:


In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]
Alfred Lord Tennyson - 1809-1892


Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.


All bells are also to have:

    1. “St. MILBURGA’S  MMXVIII” (on top band opposite the poem line)
    2. Embossed Goose (on the main body of the bell)
    3 Band(s) of standard ornamentation.
    4. Founder's marks, names etc.