History of the Paccard bell
In 1796, a blacksmith from Quintal near Annecy was commissioned to build a new bell to replace the one in the village church tower, destroyed during the French Revolution. To carry out his mission, Antoine Paccard called on a professional founder, Jean Baptiste Pitton.
The finished work is a success that delights the inhabitants of this village in Haute-Savoie, near Geneva and Mont Blanc in the Alps. The blacksmith then discovered a new passion. He decided to learn the trade and set up his own bell-founding business: thus was born the Paccard bell foundry. Antoine Paccard passed this love on to his sons, ensuring that the family business would continue.
In the mid-19th century, the foundry moved to Annecy-le-Vieux to take advantage of the many benefits offered by the arrival of the railroads. The new owners, the Paccard family, introduced innovative techniques to produce bells with attractive designs and optimum acoustic quality. Constantly beating the bronze, they created pieces whose sculpture and musicality went hand in hand. The foundry’s reputation grows, and deliveries extend beyond France, with some 800 bells delivered each year by the end of the 19th century.
The Paccard foundry has produced a number of jewels: the Savoyarde in 1891 (France’s largest bell, listed as a historic monument, also known as Françoise Marguerite du Scré Coeur de Jésus), the Jeanne-d’Arc in 1914 for Rouen Cathedral, over 50 bells for the US government in the 1950s, a bell presented to Pope John Paul II and another placed in the Basilica de la Visitation in the old town of Annecy in the 1980s. Today, the Paccard foundry is one of only three bell foundries in France.
Visit the bell museum
Time to ring the bells! A visit to the Paccard bell foundry and museum by the lake is sure to be one of the highlights of your camping holiday in Annecy, or simply your weekend in Annecy. The tour is accessible to all ages and visitors, including those with reduced mobility.
You can choose the formula that suits you best:
- Self-guided tour: A tour divided into several rooms to find out all about the history of the foundry, manufacturing techniques, the sound of bells, watchmaking and the most beautiful models cast.
- Guided tour of the workshops: a unique experience focusing on bell-making and the techniques employed by the foundrymen (molding, casting, tuning).
- Guided tour of the museum: the same itinerary as the self-guided tour, with the guide’s explanations making the visit more attractive and educational.
- Prestige visit: a personalized welcome, a tasting of local products, and access to all areas of the museum and foundry.
- Excellence tour: all the services of the Prestige tour, plus a night-time casting to treat the molten metal.
Good to know: the Paccard bell foundry is the only bell foundry in the world that combines the ringing of its bells with voices and instruments such as the carrillon.
Rates and opening hours
Opening hours and admission prices depend on the type of visit and the time of year.
- Self-guided tour: €7 per person, all year round, every day except Thursday.
- Guided tour of the workshops: €10.50 per person, Friday to Sunday from April to October, daily in July and August.
- Guided tour of the museum: €10.50 per person, booking required on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
- Prestige tour: €25 (minimum 2 hours)
- Excellence tour: on request (minimum 2 hours)
- Educational tours: Self-guided tour €4.50, guided tour of the workshops €7, guided tour of the museum €7.
Do you like educational tours? Discover the secrets of glaciers in the Mer de Glace glaciorium