AUTOMATION OF METEOR BELLS IN GREECE
Date: October 20, 2024
The monasteries of the Meteors, built by ascetic monks, were originally 24, but today there are only 6, which can be visited and precious witnesses of history, art and culture. Among them, the Monastery of Saint Nikanor Zavorda, founded in the 16th century and dedicated to Saint Nikanor, a prominent figure in the Greek Orthodox Church.
Situated on a hill overlooking the Grevena region, the Nikanor Monastery is surrounded by an atmosphere of deep spiritual quietness. Its secluded location, combined with the magnificence of Byzantine architecture and elaborate frescoes, attracts visitors and worshippers from all over the world. An essential element of the orthodox liturgical services is the sound of bells, whose rhythm strikes sacred moments and calls to spiritual union. The sound of bells in the orthodox tradition is not based on melody but rather on rhythm, which assumes a symbolic and ritual value deeply rooted in worship.
The Orthodox Church, while preserving its tradition, has always refused electronic reproductions, amplifications or the use of recordings to replace the authentic sound of bells. To keep this tradition intact, Belltron has developed an automation system that fully respects the orthodox liturgy, allowing the bells to be played using the original clappers, with the same dynamics of a bell ringer. The system allows to manage up to 18 bells, depending on the model, through an App that allows you to adjust power and pulse time. The power of the motors, for example, can be adjusted from 10 to 100%. The system also allows to tune the sound of the bells to obtain harmonious melodies as those played manually according to tradition.
Nine motors were installed in the Nikanor Monastery, connected to each of the nine bells. Thanks to the Belltron GM-870I bell controller, it is possible to time program each bell, managing all parameters also through a dedicated App (Belltron-Cloud).
Premiumbells, which has made the work using Belltron products, also supplied bronze bells, completing a system that perfectly combines tradition and innovation.
The automation of the bells of the Monastery of San Nikanor is an example of how modern technology can be successfully applied to preserve and enhance secular traditions.
