The Bells and the Carillon

The bells and the carillon of the cathedral animate the religious and civil life of the building. They are the “voice” of the cathedral. They are managed by the non-profit organization Tintinnabulum.

The great bell, named “Salvator,” weighs 6,800 kg and sounds the note sol⁰ / sol² / G⁰ (Belgian/French/Anglo-Saxon notation). It was cast in 1638 by the founders Peter De Klerk and Peter I Van den Ghein of Mechelen. Its godfather is King Philip IV of Spain (our regions were under Spanish domination at the time). It is located in the north tower (on the left when facing the cathedral). It only rings on great occasions, alone (presence of the King, death of the Pope or the King, a serious event affecting the Nation) or during a plenum with the other bells to enhance festive religious ceremonies (Christmas, Easter, ordinations…).

he other swinging bells and the carillon are located in the south tower. There are 7 swinging bells, integrated into the carillon (Fabiola, Maria, Michael, Gudula, Philippe, Astrid, Laurent). They were cast between 1966 and 1975 by Horacantus (Lokeren, B) and/or Koninklijk Eijsbouts (Asten, NL). The first rings in sib⁰ / sib² / Bb⁰ / B⁰ (Belgian/French/Anglo-Saxon/German notation), the second in do, the third in re, then they form the chromatic scale up to do⁵ / do⁷ / C⁵ (Belgian/French/Anglo-Saxon notation).

The swinging bells ring on the occasion of religious services according to various compositions depending on the type of service.
The carillon automatically rings melodies on the quarter-hour, varying according to the seasons. It is also played manually by musicians from the two main linguistic regions of the country or by foreign carillonneurs, about fifteen times a year.