MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Campanile bells ring no more

By

The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) a Not for Profit Company wholly owned by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) marked a significant phase in the restoration of the City’s iconic landmark, the Campanile, on Tuesday 26 April 2016 as they removed the Campanile bells.

The NMBM tasked the MBDA to restore the ageing Campanile after an evaluation found the landmark to be structurally unsafe and needing significant maintenance. The restoration work commenced at the beginning of March 2016 and should be completed in the first quarter of 2017.

The Campanile was completed in 1923 and is now 92 years old and shows the impact of time. The carillon was installed in 1932 and is now 83 years old. It is a musical instrument that is typically housed in the bell tower (belfry) of a church or municipal building. The instrument consists of 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to produce a melody, or sounded together to play a chord

The carillon was last restored 16 years ago in 1999. It is the most vulnerable part of the Campanile being the most exposed to the weather. The steel structure from which the bells hang, the cradle, is the worst affected. The mechanism connecting the bells to the keyboard is not in working order and will be modernized and the bells themselves will be repaired. In addition the MBDA will introduce elements to make the Campanile representative as a monument belonging to all citizens of the Nelson Mandela Bay.

On Tuesday were removed in order to replace the steel girder, from which they are supported which is extensively rusted. The bells will then be repaired and returned to the building.

The Campanile will be reopened as a Tourist attraction once it has been fully restored.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Flickr profileMy Pinterest profile

Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.