The Bell of Peace “Maria Dolens”

The Peace Bell "Maria Dolens" stands on the Miravalle hill above Rovereto and near Castel Dante, a symbolic place where around 20,000 Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers rest today. For almost a century, its hundred chimes have rung out every evening over the town of Rovereto and the surrounding area to remember all those who have died in wars, but also to strengthen and promote peace.

In 1924, the bell was ordered by Don Antonio Rossaro, a priest from Rovereto, and designed in Trento. It was made from the bronze of the cannons used by the various nations during the First World War, baptised "Maria Dolens" and placed at Rovereto Castle in October 1925. The present bell, consecrated by Pope Paul VI, is not the original but its third version. Maria Dolens was cast three times: in 1939 (twice) to obtain a more beautiful sound, and in the 1960s due to a crack that could not be repaired. It is decorated with bas-reliefs in neoclassical style, by the Trentino sculptor Stefano Zuech. With a height of 3.36 metres, a diameter of 3.21 metres and a weight of 226.39 tonnes, it is the largest bell in the world with a "stretched" sound, i.e. intense and constant.

The lane leading to the bell is decorated with flags of nations, organisations and communities working for peace and brotherhood between peoples. The Campana dei Caduti is located in a museum area that offers visitors a photographic exhibition about the history of the bell and the place. From here you can also easily reach the Castel Dante Memorial via a path through the forest.