Maria Gloriosa, or the Erfurt Bell, is a well-known

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

of Erfurt Cathedral, cast by

Geert van Wou Geert van Wou (1440, Hintham—December 1527, Kampen) was a well-known Dutch bellfounder. He is best known today for the Maria Gloriosa (1497) of Erfurt Cathedral. The son of a bellfounder, he is considered one of the most important bellfounders ...

in 1497. The world's largest medieval free-swinging bell, it is now swung electrically. It was welded in 1985 to repair a crack, then, in August 2004, the bell was re-fused due to another crack from 2001. Diameter: , weight: 13 tons 15 cwts. 2555 kg note: E 497 standard Alternately: 2570mm, 11450 kg, note by today's standards: F-. It is about 2 meters tall.Erfurt Cathedral, Germany, (Gloriosa)
, ''The Sound of Bells''. As with any well-tuned bell the hum tone is near an

octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...

below the

strike tone The strike tone, strike note, or tap note, of a percussion instrument (e.g. bell, chime or gong) when struck, is the dominant note perceived immediately by the human ear. It is also known as the prime or fundamental note. However, an analysis of th ...

, and all other notes are in tune including the

minor third In music theory, a minor third is a musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval number). The minor third is one of two com ...

, fifth, octave, and

major third In classical music, a third is a Interval (music), musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four semitones.Allen Forte, ...

and fifth in the second octave that may be heard in large bells.

Sources

Individual bells Erfurt 1497 works {{Bell-stub