(Historic carillon)

*Location:

   Lower belfry
   Sint-Romboutstoren
   (St.Rombold's Tower)
   Onder den Toren / Sint-Romboutskerkhof
   Mechelen (Malines, Mechlin),
     Antwerpen, Belgium
   LL: N 51.02893, E 4.47829

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   (See STR/2)

*Contact:

   (See STR/2)

*Schedule:

   Rarely played since installation of
   the modern carillon (STR/2).

*Remarks:

   Pre-Hemony bells by A.Waghevens (1,1480),
   S.Waghevens (1,1498), J.Waghevens
   (1,1515), A.Steylaert (1,1564),
   M. de Haze (2,1696/97); post-Hemony
   bells by J. du Mery (1,1735),
   A.-J. vanden Gheyn (4,1766-84),
   A.-L.-J. van Aerschodt (1,1844),
   S. van Aerschodt (1,1860),
   M. Michiels, Sr. (3,1906),
   M. Michiels, Jr. (6,1931-52).
   Drum (inop.) by A.Jullien, Lier, 1736.
   In 1981, this carillon was relocated
   (frame and all) from the upper belfry
   to the lower, above the peal bells of
   the church.
   Manual keyboard may be 42 notes G-C.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 49 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F# in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     D C 47/    A#G   
   Transposition is down 4 semitone(s), i.e., from C to G#
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 1948
     with bells made by Michiels     
   Prior history:
     In 1945, the instrument was enlarged to 48 bells
       by Michiels    
       (8 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     D C 46/    A#G   
       There were three missing bass semitones
     In 1922, the instrument was enlarged to 45 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       Pitch of heaviest bell (excluding sub-bourdon) was C  in the middle octave
       Keyboard range was: (F#)C A   /    ----  
       Transposition was nil (concert pitch)
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 1674, the instrument was enlarged to 39 bells
       by Hemony      
       (27 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was G# in the middle octave
     Previously, the instrument was begun with 26 bells
       by an unknown maker
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
   Auxiliary mechanisms: M     
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1952

Descriptive article (in Dutch, with tower photo) from the VBV (Vlaamse Beiaard Vereniging), covering both historic and modern carillons.

A Waymarking page for these bells has 5 interior photos - new bells, drum & clock, old bells, old keyboard (manual 42 notes G-C).

Stock photo of the clock and drum

Photos of the exterior and interior of the building, including its amazing stained glass.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hemony bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
(The third phase of this work being an accumulation of mostly single bells by various founders, it is not separately indexed.)
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Michiels bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Michiels bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by year of completion.

Where the bass bell of this carillon ranks among all great bells in Europe.

Index to all traditional carillons in BE.

Index to all tower bell instruments in BE/Antwerpen.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2020/07/05
   and on technical data last updated on 2008/02/19