Once upon a time
Paccard museum & foundry
A STORY ABOUT DEDICATION AND PASSIONThe Paccard saga began in 1796 in the quaint Savoyard village of Quintal, whose church bells were seized during the French Revolution to be melted and cast into canons.
The village’s mayor at the time, Antoine Paccard, wanted to reopen the church, and he needed a bell for the belfry to do so. He hired a traveling artisan bell maker and decided to work as the unofficial apprentice to lend a helping hand. A vocation was born as well as a long line of bell makers (today the seventh generation is at the helm and the eighth generation joined the ranks in 2021).
Two centuries later, the Paccard Foundry has become an integral part of France’s industrial history and heritage, a testament to excellence, known worldwide for its expertise and commitment to quality.
After the French Revolution ended, only 20% of the church bells in France remained, offering plenty of work for Antoine’s two sons who had taken over the business. In short time, the small foundry set up shop in Quintal, earning a stellar reputation worldwide; its primary ambassadors were French missionaries who helped to export Paccard bells throughout the world. As the business continued to grow, the factory moved to Annecy-le-Vieux.
In the 19th century, the foundry counted more than 150 employees, making 700 to 800 bells per year in its workshops.
Heritage, excellence… and innovation
Following their move to Sevrier in 1989, the foundry developed several carillons; sets of harmonized bells that function together as a single musical instrument to play songs and other melodies. It took years of in-depth, technical research and development to obtain such a flawless sound, a Paccard hallmark whose quality remains unmatched to this day.
Among the company’s proudest achievements figures the carillon in Chambéry, made specifically for the International Exposition in 1937 and restored in 1992. With seventy bells, it remains the largest carillon in Europe to this day.
© Paccard / Paccard in Sevrier
Paccard creates Ars Sonora®
The unparalleled musicality of Paccard bells pushed the seventh generation to develop a unique concept mixing both sight and sound, known as Ars Sonora.
It combines giant musical sculptures, made by artists and designers, with Paccard bells. This innovation has provided the company with the opportunity to diversify its business.
Florida’s University of Tampa ordered a 33-meter high musical sculpture with 63 bells that took more than three years to make. Another world record!
© Paccard / Ars Sonora by Paccard in Tampa
A dynamic company anchored in the present
The museum organizes and hosts events all throughout the year: tour the workshop, training belfry, and museum with the option of seeing firsthand molten metal being poured into the bell cast (Thursday nights, reservation required). Enjoy coffee hour and Ars Sonora® concerts (vocals and bells).
The latter offers the opportunity for Anne Paccard, a trained musician and married to Philippe, a seventh generation Paccard, to use her beautiful soprano voice to sing alongside the arranged music played on the bells. Witness this astonishing performance in person. Through her desire to share both her passion and Paccard’s expertise with as many people as possible, Anne has compiled a wonderful events and entertainment program, and even recently opened a tea room at the museum.
© Yannick Perrin / Ars Sonora concert with Anne Paccard
“Watching bells being cast means entering the magical world of molten metal, a truly enchanting and fascinating experience.”
Paccard
© Yannick Perrin / Permanent exhibit at Paccard Museum
Did you know?
Paccard foundry made one of the largest bells in France (weighing more than 18 tons), the “Savoyarde” at Montmartre’s Sacré-Coeur Basilica, cast in 1891. A gift donated by Savoyards to celebrate the construction of the basilica.
In 1950, the United States Government placed an order with Paccard to make 54 replicas (including one for each state) of the historic Liberty Bell, which, according to legend, rung in Philadelphia in 1776 to mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The foundry also delivered the World Peace Bell to the United States, the largest swinging bell in the world (weighing more than 33 tons), which first rang on December 31, 1999 at midnight to mark the beginning of the brand new century. In total, Paccard has made more than 120,000 bells since the company began.
© Paccard / Paccard cast the Savoyarde
Another story
Photo credit top of page:
- © Paccard / Rolling the Savoyarde bell out of the foundry
Journaliste : Aude Pollet Thiollier
Translation: Darin Reisman