Paris’ famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame is about to celebrate its 850th anniversary. In anticipation of this major event, and amidst some controversy, the four bells located at the top of the North Tower—christened, as is the custom for all sacred objects, Angélique-Françoise, Antoinette-Charlotte, Hyacinthe-Jeanne, and Denise-David—will soon be removed, melted down and replaced.

These four bells were cast in 1856, per the request of Napoleon III who wanted them to mark the occasion of his son’s baptism, and have rung every 15 minutes since then.

As part of a $3.5 million project (that will also renovate the cathedral’s vast lighting system and famous organ), the bells will be silenced. They will be replaced by nine new bells that will be cast in the same weight and size as the original 17th century bells. Remarkably, they will be designed to create the same sound as those 17th century bells. According to the New York Times (October 18, 2011), the sound will have “a deeper resonance and a lower tone than [that heard] today.”

The controversy pits purists in one field against those of another: historic artifact versus authentic sound. The first group contends that the bells should be kept in place because they have rung out on all significant historic events—the coronation of kings, the funerals of important French officials, the end of the two World Wars, and to honor those who died on September 11, 2001.

The latter group argues that bells, cast of low-quality metal, are now worn out and out of tune; replacing them with new bells will…
provide a more authentic and harmonious sound than that heard today. Click here to hear a sample of what new bells will sound like (from the Notre-Dame web site).

A little history might put some of this controversy in perspective. Up until the revolution, Notre-Dame had twenty bells. As best I can gather, eight major bells were in the North Tower; two great bells were in the South Tower; seven in the spire; and three that chimed for the clock. During the Revolution in 1789, all of the cathedral’s bells and many other religious symbols were taken by the revolutionaries—as was the case throughout France. All but one of the bells were melted down to produce cannons and coins.

The one bell that was taken but not destroyed was the great bell “Bourdon Emmanuel.” (The other great bell, Marie, was taken and destroyed.) Considered a masterpiece, the 1681 Emmanuel, weighing 13 tons, was miraculously spared and was returned to its place in 1802. According to the aforementioned New York Times article, until the four bells were added in 1856, it was only the great bell that rang out, typically to alert the people of Paris of calamitous events such as epidemics.

Today, it rings for major holidays such as Christmas, Easter, All Saint’s Day, popes’ visits, state funerals and other important commemorations. (With a 500-kilo “tongue,” the part of the bell that hits the sides to create the chiming sound, it is easy to understand what a toll it takes on the bell and why it cannot be rung regularly.) Considered one of the most beautiful bells in all of Europe, it will remain in its place.

In 1856, the four bells mentioned above were installed and, later in that century, six small bells were cast and installed in and around the spire, making a total of eleven bells still there today.

Controversy notwithstanding, the four bells will be replaced. I was unable to ascertain a timeline, but sometime during 2012, the process will undoubtedly begin. Bells, like people, apparently have a finite life span.

I think Victor Hugo’s Hunchbacked Quasimodo, who sacrificed his hearing to ring the bells of Notre-Dame, intimately appreciated the importance of a harmonious sound and would approve….although he might not so readily embrace the idea of the software program that now controls his beloved bells.