Soiano del Lago

The bell tower

The castle of Soiano had an ancient tower that in the XIII century was demolished, because it became dangerous. On its base, a bell tower was built, which is still present today. The tower had 2 bells, one big and the other one smaller, that beat the time for the most important moments of the community life. It is said that during the Second World War, the bells were dismantled by the townspeople and buried underground to prevent the army from melting them down to make weapons or tanks for the war. Then, as now, the “a distesa” ringing marks days of celebration. 

The bell ringer was responsible for serving the bells: he had the privilege to live inside the castle and earned money from the town hall. The Parish archives still have a register with a list of the bell ringer’s duties, which remained in force until half a century ago, when he was replaced by the electrical panel.