Jeremy Flint visits one

Jeremy Flint visits one of the last bell makers in France… The village of Villedieu-les-Poeles in Northwest France is home to the Cornille Havard Foundry, one of the last two remaining Bell foundries in France (the other is in Haute- Savoie). It continues a long tradition of Bell Casters who settled in Normandy in the Middle Ages. Cornille Havard foundry has been making bells at its magnificent 19th century workshop since 1865. Prior to this, bell founders worked more freely and would travel to churches and cathedrals to make their bells. The company is named after Paul Havard who, succeeding his brother-in-law César Béatrix in 1836, and Adolphe Havard, a polytechnical engineer who took over in 1865 and had the workshop built, developed production and began exporting bells all over the world. The company passed through the Cornille family before Marguerite Cornille sold the foundry to Françoise and Luigi Bergamo on June 1, 1981. Paul Bergamo is the second generation of the family to preserve the traditions and expertise of this unique company whose bells are world renowned for their aesthetic and musical qualities. Specialising in big bells, the master bell casters combine the craft of metal work with the art of music using traditional techniques as well as the best technology. Walking into the studio, which is open to the public, feels like you have stepped back in time and gives a rare glimpse into this centuries-old tradition. The casting of a new bell is a fascinating process that draws on ancient skills. The bells are cast with two moulds consisting of the inner mould (core) developed around an interior template, and a false bell mould placed over it. This outer mould is covered with wax letters and decorations. The lostwax process (also known as precision casting or cire perdue) is applied. The wax melts leaving the bell with indentations. The furnace is fired to the right temperature to melt the % Norman Bell Makers 62 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 63