Abstract
Abstract This article discusses the religious soundscape of the Maronites in the 16th and the 17th century as reflected in Western travel accounts that report the use of church bells at Qannūbīn Monastery in Lebanon, the residence of the Maronite patriarch. Bell ringing for religious purposes was actually forbidden in the Ottoman Empire. The Christian communities of the Levant employed a wooden instrument, the semantron, to call the faithful to service. Qannūbīn was an exception. Information provided by pilgrims and travelers sheds light on some of the reasons behind the use of bell ringing in this remote religious foundation. Moreover, I argue that the use of bells at Qannūbīn was related to the close contacts between the Maronite clergy and the Pope of Rome. The former wanted to be in communion with the Roman Church. The use of bell ringing at the patriarchal residence assisted to project a Catholic image by means of sound.
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