Os de Balaguer, in the Lleida province, became Catalonia's bell-ringing capital this Sunday, hosting the 38th Gathering of Bell Ringers. The event brought together around 100 professionals from across Catalonia and other parts of Spain, including Huesca, Badajoz, and León, who demonstrated manual bell-ringing techniques. This year's special peal honoured Ignasi Cortés, the local master bell ringer credited with ensuring the continuation of the bell-ringing tradition.
The Confraternity of Bell Ringers and Carillonists also unveiled a bell cast specifically for Casa Macià in Prats de Molló. Named 'Vil·la Denise', the bell will soon be given to the Friends of Casa Macià Association, marking the centenary of the 1926 events.
Honouring a Local Legend
Estefania Rufach, the mayor of Os de Balaguer, explained the gathering's purpose, stating, "Bell towers have always served the people, and we dignify this tradition while supporting bell ringers." She expressed her pleasure at hosting so many professionals in a festive atmosphere. The special peal, a highlight of the celebration, paid homage to Ignasi Cortés.
"He made the bell tower ring for over 40 years and is the soul of this gathering," Rufach told reporters. Bell ringer Abel Mora echoed this sentiment, noting that Cortés introduced the tradition to the village's children.
Beyond the special peal, the Os de Balaguer bell tower rang continuously throughout the morning. Dozens of visiting bell ringers performed their own peals, dedicating them to various causes, from fighting fires and preserving forests to remembering newborns who have died. Maria Lluïsa López from Castellterçol, Moianès, celebrated 25 years as a bell ringer this year. She performed a peal honouring those who taught her this hobby. "I don't come from a family of bell ringers. It all started because when I heard the bells, I felt I had to learn to ring them, and so I did," she explained.
New Bell for Casa Macià
The Confraternity of Bell Ringers and Carillonists of Catalonia also presented the 'Vil·la Denise' bell, cast for Casa Macià in Prats de Molló. This bell will be installed in one of the spaces where President Macià coordinated the 1926 events. This project is the first time Catalan bell-ringing tradition has dedicated a bronze bell to Macià's legacy, aiming to reclaim historical memory and cultural heritage.
Bell ringing is a hobby with "great demand" from interested individuals, despite the automation of bell peals. Xavier Pallàs, director of the Vall d'en Bas School of Bell Ringers, said his centre started as an "initiative for the people of the Garrotxa region to bring bell towers back to life." He added, "The surprise was that people from all over Catalonia signed up, and thanks to the students, bell towers are being revitalised."
In parallel, the school also researches and documents old bell ringers and inventories bells. "We have studied several regions and found real treasures. There are bell towers that still preserve medieval bells, which are historical pieces of great artistic value," Pallàs stated.
