Uns «pedassoz de sino»: o estudo de caso dos sinos da paróquia da Foz do Douro

Abstract

Tradition gives to bells, time markers par excellence, an apotropaic and prophylactic character. The sound signals they emitted established the order of the day, announced births and deaths; called for divine services and the festivities of the liturgical calendar, and warned of dangers. The constant recasting, combined with changes in the communities lifestyle, the automation of ringing, the decreasing number of active bell ringers, and the consequent forgetting of the knowledge associated with them, constitute risks to the preservation of the forms, uses, and functions of bells. Based on documentary sources and analysis of existing bells in the current parish church, we intend to study the bells in the parish context of Foz do Douro. As far as possible, we intended to trace the diachrony of these objects, contributing to the study of the Portuguese bells tradition.