Pavia – After a silence lasted 35 yearsi, they will play again the bells of the Cathedral. A company from Cremona will carry out the safety work on the bell tower. The contract was awarded after examining the twenty offers received at the Palazzo Mezzabarba offices. The works to be carried out are mainly: seismic adaptation works for a value of approximately 190 thousand euros plus 100 thousand euros in security costs. Built in 1757 and 48 meters high, the bell tower does not rest directly on the ground, but partly on the masonry vaults of the cathedral. After collapse of the Civic Towerfor security reasons eight bells – each of which is dedicated to the Madonna and a saint – have been silenced because among the hypotheses of the collapse there is also the possibility that at the top of the tower there was a bronze bell that was too heavy.
So it’s been since 1989 that the people of Pavia are waiting to hear the bell tower ring again highest in the Diocese. But the project is not limited to bells and seismic adaptation. In fact, it also includes the use of funds that have been made available partly by the Pnrr and partly by the Ministry of Culture for a total of 470 thousand euros. Jobs, which after the reopening of the cathedral in 2012 represent another important step for the complete arrangement of a part of the historical and cultural heritage of the capital, were entrusted to the engineer Nicola Verdi and the architect Stefano Zanni. They aim to make the bell tower usable again, which offers a very special look at the city. A new electrical system will be installed which will guarantee lighting and a structural monitoring system, which will allow the state of health of the bell tower to be monitored in real time and to intervene promptly if necessary. Furthermore, the stairs to reach the belfry will be brought up to standard.The intervention , of great value for the entire Lombardy region, was made possible thanks to a synergy between the Fabbriceria, which owns the Cathedral, and the Municipality. In fact, Pnrr funds can only be managed by a public body.
