The Bell of the Fallen
Maria Dolens rings every evening for peace
On the Colle di Miravalle, a hill above Rovereto, a city that suffered greatly during the First World War, on the front line between Italy and Austria, hangs one of the largest swinging bells in the world: the Campana dei Caduti, the Bell of the Fallen, known as Maria Dolens. It was conceived in the 1920s by a priest from Rovereto, Don Antonio Rossaro, as a monument to the fallen of all wars and a symbol of peace and brotherhood among peoples, and was cast for the first time in 1924 with the bronze of the cannons of the nations that had fought in the Great War.
The bell, which had to be recast several times because of cracks, reached its present form in 1964: it weighs about 22 tonnes and has a diameter of over three metres, and in 1965 it was blessed by Pope Paul VI in St Peter's Square in Rome before being returned to Rovereto. Every evening, at sunset, it rings 100 tolls in memory of the fallen of all wars, without distinction of nationality, a moment of great emotion that can be experienced by visitors gathered around it, while the names of the countries of the world are recalled. Around the bell, the park hosts the flags of the nations of the world and a small museum. From the hill, the view sweeps over Rovereto and the Vallagarina. Below, in the city, the Castle of Rovereto houses the Italian War History Museum, one of the most important museums of the First World War.
Tip: arrive a little before sunset to hear the 100 tolls; combine the bell with the War History Museum in the castle.
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