The Bell of the Fallen

It rings a hundred times every evening at sundown

The bell commemorates the soldiers who fought the Great War in Trentino: Italians, Austrians, Germans, Polish, Hungarians, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians, Slovenians, Czechs, English and French.

One hundred slow tolls every evening resound through the mountains from the Miravalle hill overlooking Rovereto and Vallagarina: it is the sound of Maria Dolens, the Bell of the Fallen, symbol of the end of the war and of a newfound peace. Made in 1924 from the melted bronze of the cannons of the fighting nations, the bell has since spread its universal message of brotherhood. The history of the bell recalls that of Trentino itself, a long disputed border land that has left behind the wreckage of the past to become a dynamic workshop of coexistence and dialogue, without ever forgetting the duty to remember.

About 3.36 metre high and 3.21 metres in diameter, it is the largest bell in the world to peal out, and the fourth one in weight (over 22.6 tons). All around are stands to host the occasional commemorations.

Highlights:

Rovereto what to see - MART, the museum of modern and contemporary art
Rovereto
Among museums, castles and...
The Italian War History Museum
The Italian War History Museum
In the castle of Rovereto,...
MART, the Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
MART, the Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
A fantastic voyage through...


You may also like ...

43 results

Nagià Grom

Life in the trenches

Fort Larino

A formidable barrier

Forte Strino | © Foto Archivio Apt Val di Sole

Strino Fort

Discovering the White War

The Austro-Hungarian monumental cemetery in Bondo

The memory of a whole generation

Fort Pozzacchio/Valmorbia

In the belly of the mountain

The Italian War History Museum

Remember war, build peace

Strada degli Artiglieri (The Gunners’ Path)

The soldier’s rest

Cesare Battisti Mausoleum

A majestic monument

Nagià Grom

The frontline comes back to life in an amazing route

Read more ...

Fort Larino

A fine example of stronghold still in excellent conditions

Read more ...
Forte Strino | © Foto Archivio Apt Val di Sole

Strino Fort

One of the symbols of a terrible conflict fought at high altitude

Read more ...

The Austro-Hungarian monumental cemetery in Bondo

A building of architectural interest where a memorial service is held every year

Read more ...

Fort Pozzacchio/Valmorbia

Distributed over three floors, the complex is entirely dug into the rock

Read more ...

The Italian War History Museum

In the castle of Rovereto, memories of the Venetian rule and of the Great War

Read more ...

Strada degli Artiglieri (The Gunners’ Path)

A monument in Rovereto to be explored by walking: at every step, a name and a memory

Read more ...

Cesare Battisti Mausoleum

A work by Ettore Fagioli from Verona, inspired by Roman antiquity

Read more ...

Great War