When I was a child, I loved the sound of church bells. My grandmother would explain to me what each different ring meant—whether it was calling people to Mass, announcing a wedding, or marking a solemn event. For me, bells were always associated with happiness, Sunday feasts, and special moments. 

Many years later, when I lived on the Ligurian coast, I found myself once again charmed by bells: my small apartment, just a stone’s throw from the sea, was next to a church, and every season brought with it a different melody— Easter melodies, Christmas carols, liturgical hymns.