The weight of a bell is one of its most important characteristics. Really B...I...G bells, or "great bells", seem to be especially fascinating to many people. For the purpose of the lists herein, a great bell is arbitrarily defined as a tower bell which weighs at least 4 tonnes (see Bell weights). This includes all Western bells with a pitch of bass G# or deeper, as well as a few such bells with pitch of bass A and an exceptionally heavy profile. (For Oriental bells, the relationship between weight and pitch is much less clear.)
Since there is a fairly close relationship between the weight of its bell and its diameter, and a very close relationship between the diameter of a bell and its pitch (or note), it would be possible to define "great bells" in terms of either a certain minimum diameter or a certain maximum frequency of vibration of the principal note of the bell. But that information is often more difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, we include it when available, for purposes of comparison.
Because of the distinctive campanological history of North America, the majority of great bells in this region (66) are to be found in carillons. All are in traditional carillons except for two which are sub-bourdons to non-traditional carillons. This list is presented as a compact table, in descending order by weight, with each entry having a link to the site data page for the carillon which contains that bell. Following that link will reveal more detailed information, Weblinks elsewhere, etc.
Nevertheless, there are 30 great bells to be found outside carillons in this area. One of them was the largest modern bell in the world (and the largest swinging bell in the world) from 1998 to 2006. These bells are also listed in descending order by weight, but with extended descriptions and related information, including Weblinks to information available elsewhere.
The table of great bells in carillons also serves as a combined list by weight of all great bells in this region, by providing links to the appropriate points in the other list.
Site ID Nr P Wt M/Year Notes ________________________________________ __ __ _____ ______ _____ SAO PAULO - MC : BRAZIL #1 A F/1961 HIGUEY : DOMINICAN R #1 A 9260 P/1977 = 4200 kg(See great bells in North American carillons for the key to the column headings.)
One great bell is known in this region:
Cuzco, Peru - ~14000 lbs
It seems possible that there are still some "undiscovered" great bells in other large old Catholic churches and cathedrals of this region. This is because most early bells in such places were cast on site by itinerant bellfounders, and so there are few records of them elsewhere.
No great bells are yet known in this region. (Malta is classified with Europe; see below.)
A complete list of present and former great bells in this region includes only six bells in carillons or chimes, so they are not listed separately as is done for North America (see above).
A different viewpoint appears in a table of great bells by date, which has abbreviated descriptions. This table also identifies those bells which set a new record for heaviest cast in this region.
The complete, detailed list and the abbreviated table are fully cross-linked, enabling easy comparison of any aspect of interest. A color-coded background makes it easy to distinguish those bells which are (or were) in carillons or chimes.
A fully detailed (but not yet complete) list of present and former great bells in Russia includes no bells which are in carillons, so they are not listed separately as is done for North America (see above).
Similar lists elsewhere:
For this region, there is a table of present and former great bells (not yet complete), with abbreviated descriptions, in descending order by weight. As with the table for the British Isles, a color-coded background makes it easy to distinguish those few great bells which are in carillons or chimes.
There is a parallel list of great bells by country, which is fully detailed (but not yet complete). The countries with the largest numbers are in separate files: presently only Germany, but a few others will be migrated to separate pages as they are completed. For each country, the bells are shown in the same order as in the table.
The European table and lists are cross-linked to enable easy comparison of any aspect of interest. They likewise include only a few bells which are in carillons or chimes, so they are not listed separately as is done for North America (see above).
Similar lists elsewhere:
Great bells in this region are divided into two lists, according to profile.
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This page was created 1996/12/12 and last revised 2008/03/09.
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