Bell Towers, Bell Gables, and Bellcotes in Late Medieval Cyprus

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates bell-bearing structures and their historical context in Cyprus. The aim is to shed light on when and in which ways bells were introduced into Greek religious practice on the island, taking into account that they are often a sign of cultural exchange between Latins and Greeks in other areas of the Mediterranean. This shall be achieved through a focus on the material evidence preserved from mainly Greek buildings from ca. 1200-1571, compared with buildings of other rites on the island and complemented by manifold textual evidence predominantly from the Latin sphere. It is shown how bells and the traditional Greek semantron were used in parallel from at least the thirteenth century on, first enriching urban soundscapes of cities like Famagusta and furthermore enabling a more diversified call to liturgies and other events mainly in monastic environments.