• Les cloches exposées à l'intérieur de la cathédrale
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The Bells

Twenty-one bronze bells make up the chimes of Notre-Dame, with the bourdon being the oldest. They ring for the hours and key moments in the life of the Church or the history of Paris. Each bell bears a name in homage to a significant figure in the Church.
Les cloches exposées à l'intérieur de la cathédrale View

The Bourdon

The largest bell of Notre-Dame is located in the south tower. In campanology, it is called a bourdon. It rings on major occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, All Saints’ Day, and events like the death or election of the Pope. The bourdon of Notre-Dame was cast in 1683 and named Emmanuel by its godfather, Louis XIV. This bell, considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, rings in F-sharp. Its base diameter is 2.62 meters with a thickness of 21 cm, and it weighs 13 tons, including a 500-kilo clapper.

A Sound Information System

In the north tower, four bells provide the daily chimes for the Cathedral’s services. They each weigh between two and three tons. The chime of the bells regulates the lives of the faithful, marking the solemnity of services. For all Parisians, they indicate the time by the number of clapper strikes or announce major events in French history. This tradition continues today.

A Set of Twenty Bells

Each bell is regularly recast. Since 1769, the chime consists of a set of twenty bells:

  • Eight bells in the north tower,
  • Two bourdons in the south tower: Marie (cast in 1378, 1396, 1402, 1430, 1451, and 1472) and Emmanuel (originally Jacqueline, cast in the 14th century, then in 1430, 1451, 1480. In 1680, it was named Emmanuel, and its weight was increased).
  • Seven bells in the spire,
  • Three bells at the north transept level for the clock chimes.

The ravages of the Revolution did not spare Notre-Dame’s bells. They were taken down, broken, and melted in 1791 and 1792. Only the bourdon Emmanuel, the central piece of the set, was spared and replaced in its tower in 1802 by order of Napoleon I. In 1856, four bells were installed in the north tower, and in 1867, three more in the spire, then three more in the loft. The six bells were connected to the monumental clock installed in the framework.

The New Chime

The poor quality of the metal in the four bells of the north tower caused harmonic discordances and poor acoustic quality. All were replaced in 2013, except for the bourdon Emmanuel, recognized for its excellent sound. The Cornille-Havard foundry in Villedieu-les-Poêles cast the bells for the north tower, and the bourdon Marie at the Royal Eijsbouts foundry in the Netherlands.

Naming the Bells

The choice of names for the new bells honors personalities who have marked the life of the diocese and the Church. The south tower houses the bourdon Marie, named in homage to the mother of Christ, protector of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and in memory of the first bourdon Marie in place between 1378 and 1792. The north tower received eight bells, listed in descending order of size:

  • Gabriel, in homage to the Archangel Gabriel of the Annunciation. The largest bell in the north tower already bore this name in the 15th century.
  • Anne-Geneviève, in memory of Saint Anne, mother of Mary, and Saint Geneviève, patron saint of Paris.
  • Denis, in honor of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris.
  • Marcel, in honor of Saint Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris in the 5th century.
  • Étienne, in memory of the old cathedral church of Paris dedicated to Saint Stephen.
  • Benoît-Joseph, in memory of Benedict XVI, Pope at the time of their consecration in 2013, during the 850th anniversary of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
  • Maurice, in memory of Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris who laid the first stone of the cathedral in 1163.
  • Jean-Marie, in homage to Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, 139th Archbishop of Paris, from 1981 to 2005.

Virginie Bassetti, Bell Decor Artist

Graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Rennes and the Higher School of Art and Design in Le Havre-Rouen, Virginie Bassetti discovered the art of molten metal during a pour in Marcel Dinahet’s workshop. Specializing in the design and creation of contemporary bell decorations, she collaborates with the Cornille-Havard foundry. The manufacture of bells requires extreme precision to achieve the desired sound. The decorations are made in relief on a mold, then molten metal is poured in, taking the exact shape of the bell.

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