The Bell Tower of Cogne

The bell tower of Cogne, erected in 1202, tells a story of restoration and renovation. The current structure, dating back to 1840, is still intriguing for its ancient and modern style melded together in an architectural work in harmony with the place.
The bell tower of Cogne has been rebuilt several times. The initial works focused on the top, which was restored in 1416 and rebuilt in 1691; in 1744, it already showed signs of decay. The Romanesque bell tower was too low to spread the sound of the bells widely, so it was demolished for a taller, sturdier tower. The intervention of Dr. César-Emmanuel Grappein in the 19th century led to the construction of a new tower, completed in 1840.
The tower measures about 5.5 meters wide and is almost 17 meters high. The bell tower also adjusted the schedules for the use of irrigation canals, underlining its importance in the life of the community. The belfry, with mullioned windows, supports an octagonal crossing tower with a copper dome; on the top stand a cross and a rooster, as they did in the past. The last consolidation works date back to 1987. Famous is the story of a French tourist who, admiring the tower, asked if it had been built there, getting as an answer: "Oh no, sir, it was shipped well packed from Paris." The earliest records of the bells date back to 1416. The largest bell bears several inscriptions, including: “Je sonne tour à tour pour l'enfant au berceau, pour l'époux à l'Autel, pour le mort au tombeau” (“I play in turn for the child in the cradle, for the groom at the Altar, for the dead at the grave”).