*Location:

   Église Saint-Just
   Rue de l'hôtel de ville (D469)
   Arbois, Jura, France
   LL: N 46.90216, E 5.77143

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   (unknown)

*Schedule:

   (silent since 2014; safety problem)

*Remarks:

   Original bells by Goussel; the largest
   ensemble of 18th c. bells in France.
   16 now on the exterior of the lantern;
   others interior.
   Added semitones are sharp 4th & its
   octave, minor 6th, flat 7th, sharp
   octave.  Also three swinging bells in
   the louvered belfry below.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard chime of 20 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is unknown
   Transposition is unknown
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    NONE  
   There are five added semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1970
     with bells made by Bollée       
   Prior history:
     In 1922, the instrument was enlarged to 13 bells
       by Paccard     
     In 1913, the instrument was enlarged to 12 bells
       by Paccard     
     In 1738, the instrument was begun with 11 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2024

Description of the chime, with two photos

The French Wikipedia article about the church has three photos of it and mentions the bells.

A French Website about churches has a gallery of photos (scroll horizontally), of which the first two depict the tower.  More tower photos can be found in the "L'histoire", "L’extérieur" and "clocher" sections, but the bells are not mentioned.

YouTube video about the bells (11:00; ringing begins at 2:06)
The chime is seen from inside the belfry, but not heard.  Some of its bells hang in center.  All 3 swingers have electric hammers as well.

Another YouTube video (1:44)

Photos of the building

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Bollée bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all French chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all French chimes by pitch of largest bell.
Ranking among all French chimes by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in France/Jura.

   This page was built from the database on  9-Feb-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/01/12
   and on technical data last updated on 2024/01/12