Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli

The Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli is the successor of a bell foundry already at work in Agnone, Italy in 1040. The bell foundry is considered Italy's oldest family business and among the three oldest family businesses worldwide. In addition to a bell foundry, it is an artisan foundry that produces bronze portals, bas-reliefs, church artifacts, and bell restorations.

The Marinelli family first started the bell foundry in 1339 in the Apennine hills of Italy. The village of Agnone, a small Italian town of 5,200 inhabitants in the province of Isernia in Molise, is where the foundry is now located. The foundry "has a tradition of foundries that dates back 10 centuries." In 1924, the foundry was awarded "the title of pontifical foundry" by the Vatican. The Roman Catholic Church now accounts for 90 percent of all orders placed for the company. The company is co-owned and operated by brothers Armando and Pasquale Marinelli. The foundry typically produces up to 50 bells a year and currently employs around 12 people.

More information

Comments Statistics

| | Public | Italian