Os de Balaguer, Lleida, held its 38th Bell Ringers' Gathering yesterday, where a special peal honoured Ignasi Cortés, the town's former mayor and a key figure in the bell-ringing community. The event brought together more than 1,500 people and over 100 bell ringers from across Catalonia and beyond.
The bells of Os de Balaguer performed various traditional peals, including festive, religious, and alert signals such as fire or storm warnings, intended to 'break the clouds'. This year marked the first time the gathering exceeded 100 bell ringers, according to Mayor Estefanía Rufach. She attributed the increased popularity to the recognition of bell ringing as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.
Young enthusiasts like 15-year-old Martín Tarazona from La Pobla de Castre, Huesca, expressed excitement about climbing the bell tower and vowed to return. The number of female bell ringers is also growing, with Sílvia Morera from Banyoles stating she 'had to come back' after attending a few years ago. Josep Rella, 78, from Vilac in Aran, a regular at the festival, affirmed that 'bells create addiction'. Bell ringers from Tarragona Cathedral and Vall d'en Bas also attended.
Honouring Ignasi Cortés
The special peal at midday was dedicated to Ignasi Cortés, who served as mayor of Os de Balaguer for twelve years from 1999 to 2011 and passed away in late 2025. Cortés was president of the Confraternity of Bell Ringers and played a critical role in sustaining the organisation during its early, challenging years in the 2000s. He was also considered the historical soul of the National Gathering of Bell Ringers and Carillonists in the town.
During the midday peal, a banner featuring Cortés's image was unfurled. Mayor Rufach stated that Cortés had been ringing the bells for over 40 years, was the true spirit of the gathering, and instilled the tradition in younger generations. She added that over 1,500 people visited Os de Balaguer yesterday morning, causing parking to become a problem. More than 400 tickets were sold for the popular lunch, which took place around 14:30. The streets featured about forty stalls selling local produce and crafts, alongside small bells for children to ring.
New Bell for Casa Macià
Before the main event, a congress was held on Saturday, attended by about 35 people, to look at research and study related to bell ringing. The Confraternity of Bell Ringers and Carillonists of Catalonia also used the gathering to present a bell specifically cast for Casa Macià in Prats de Molló. This piece, named Vil·la Denise, will soon be given to the Friends of Casa Macià Association. It will be installed in one of the spaces where President of the Generalitat Francesc Macià coordinated historical events in 1916.
This marks the first time that Catalan bell-ringing tradition has dedicated a bronze bell to Macià's legacy, as part of a project to reclaim historical memory and cultural heritage. Previous gatherings included on-site demonstrations of how bells are cast and made.
