*Location:

   Central spire (fléche)
   Cathédrale St.Pierre
   Rue Guillaume Farel
   Genève (Geneva), Switzerland
   LL: 46.20102, E 6.14874

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page (canton not identified)

*Player:

   Vincent Thévenaz

*Contact:

   Paroisse de Saint-Pierre
   24 Place du Bourg de Four
   CH-1204 Genève
   T: 022/319 71 90   F: 022/319 71 95
   E: paroisse@saintpierre-geneve.ch

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Original chime of 1749 had cup-shaped
   bells (maker unknown), was controlled
   by a clock, and played a different tune
   on each day of the week; it was
   restored in 1850 and 1897, but failed
   completely in 1930.  Replaced by
   Paccard/Rüetschi in 1931.  Expansion of
   1986 also connected the hour bell
   (by Fribor c.1460) as sub-bourdon.
   The north and south towers contain
   swinging bells (see STP/1).
   In latest expansion, the 2 bells added
   in 1986 were disconnected.
   Muff AG restored clock and drum, and
   supplied new keyboard with oversize
   piano-style keys and pedals, unenclosed
   on belfry floor.

*Technical data:

   Carillon-sized instrument with action described in Remarks above of 37 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell (excluding sub-bourdon) is A  in the middle octave
   Transposition is up 16 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     A A 36/(E) F C#  
   There is one missing bass semitone
   The instrument was enlarged in 2011
     with 19 bells made by Paccard      
   Prior history:
     In 1991, the instrument was enlarged to 20 bells
       by Rüetschi    
       (1 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Transposition was nil (concert pitch)
       Keyboard range was: (E) A E   /    ----  
     In 1986, the instrument was enlarged to 19 bells
       by Rüetschi    
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell (excluding sub-bourdon) was unknown
       Keyboard range was: (E) ----  /    ----  
     In 1931, the instrument was begun with 16 bells
       by Paccard/Rüetschi
       (16 bells remain from that work.)
     In 1749, a complete instrument of  8 bells was installed
       with bells made by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2012

A Website about concerts in the Cathedral has a fine photo of the building, viewed across the rooftops of the city.  There is also a minimal page about the carillon.  The Programme page lists scheduled carillon carillon concerts.

French-language article about the planned expansion from 20 to 37 bells by summer 2010; with clickable photo of some of the bells and the broek transmission.

The French-language Wikipedia article about the Cathedral is quite extensive, with a section about the 28 bells which are distributed between the two towers and the spire.

The English-language Wikipedia article about the Cathedral is only a stub, but it has a photo of the north tower and spire.

Tourist page (in French) with three clickable photos of towers and spire

Video (5:39) with stills & movie of the playing technique on this unique keyboard.

GCCS photo of the south transept tower and the crossing spire

For details of the 8 swinging bells in the north and south towers, and links related specifically to them, see our separate page (STP/1).

(Until more is known about the chime of 1749, it is not indexed by maker.)
Where the initial phase of the present work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world;
or alternatively in the sequence of output of the Rüetschi bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of the present work lies in the sequence of output of the Rüetschi bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of the present work lies in the sequence of output of the Rüetschi bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of the present work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

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

Index to all tower bell instruments in Switzerland.

   This page was built from the database on  5-Nov-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2020/04/01
   and on technical data last updated on 2020/03/21