*Location:

   Mission San Carlos Borromèo
     del Rio Carmelo
   (Carmel Mission Basilica)
   Rio Road at Lasuen Drive
   Carmel, California, USA
   LL: N 36.54289, W 121.92006

Site locator map

*Contact:

   Carmel Mission Basilica
   3080 Rio Road
   Carmel, CA  93923-9124
   T: 831-624-1271   F: 831-624-8050
   E: ESoberanes@aol.com  [music director]
   E: reception@carmelmission.org

*Schedule:

   Mission open to visitors (by fee)
   except during worship services and
   other parish events.

*Remarks:

   Bells of various dates, distributed
   between primary & secondary towers on
   entrance facade.
   2009-10: All refurbished by Verdin,
   with new electric action; 2 cracked
   bells replaced, not recast (originals
   may survive).

*Technical data:

   Electric-automatic chime of  9 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is unknown
   Transposition is not applicable
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    ----  
   The arrangement of tones and semitones is unknown.
   2 bells were replaced in 2010
     by Petit & Fritsen
   Prior history:
     Previously, 9 bells by unknown makers
       were installed
       (7 bells remain from that work.)
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2010

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

The mission Website includes the top of the main tower in the drawing which is the site icon.  The Parish page has an aerial photo of the building complex, with the two towers clearly visible.  The Basilica page relates the history of the building, with photos.  The Photo Gallery includes more pictures of the towers.  But the bells are not mentioned anywhere.

A tourist article on the Mission has two photos of the main bell tower.

A set of photos of the Basilica includes three more of the tower(s).

The initial phase of this work is tentatively assumed to be a collection of old Spanish bells, and therefore is not indexed by foundry.
Where final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all North American chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American chimes by weight (pitch).
Ranking among all North American chimes by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in CA.

   This page was built from the database on  3-Mar-22
   based on textual data last updated on 2022/02/12
   and on technical data last updated on 2010/04/16