Fonderie Paccard, Bell foundry and museum in Sevrier, France
Fonderie Paccard is a bell foundry and museum in Sevrier on the shore of Lake Annecy, where bells and carillons are made in a workshop that has operated for over two centuries. The facility shows the entire production process through exhibits and documentaries, while also hosting musical performances in a concert hall throughout the year.
Antoine Paccard founded the workshop in 1796 by casting a bell for a local church, establishing the start of a lasting family enterprise. Over more than two centuries, the workshop produced over 120,000 bells, becoming a renowned foundry across France and beyond.
Bells from this foundry ring in churches and cathedrals across Europe, and visitors often recognize their distinctive tones as part of local worship and community life. The craft tradition remains visible today in how the workshop continues to pass down techniques to newer craftspeople.
Visitors can watch the production process from start to finish, from mold making to pouring molten metal, giving a clear view of how the craft works. It helps to allow plenty of time for a visit since the workshop is spread out and there is much to explore.
In 1891 the workshop cast La Savoyarde, which was the largest bell in France at that time and still hangs in the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris. This massive bell, weighing 18,835 kilograms, remains a rare achievement in bell-casting and visitors can learn about it through historical records and documentation.
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