The decision by UNESCO to recognize Italian bell ringing as a heritage of all as an intangible cultural element was also welcomed with great satisfaction by the association “Jaganos de Sardigna” of which the regional president is the master bell ringer from Norbella, Sisto Manca .
"This recognition - says Manca - fills us with pride and we dedicate it above all to the new generations, so that they can continue to preserve the traditional art of bell ringers. That sound that comes from so many bell towers scattered throughout our towns touches our soul. The sound of the bells that has always marked the days of celebration and also of sorrow, are a wealth passed down from generation to generation ."
The president himself, 48 years old, a barber by profession, but a bell ringer by passion, is personally committed to ensuring that this fascinating role never ends. The association he presides over brings together about forty bell ringers and periodically holds gatherings throughout the island thanks to a mobile bell structure. "We perform," Manca emphasizes, "especially for the younger ones to encourage them to continue in this beautiful art, so that it is not destined to disappear over time and be replaced with modern amplification systems, which emit the sound of recorded bells, but which are not exactly the same thing compared to the beauty and majesty of the hand-ringed sound."
Manca began playing at a very young age. " I fell in love with bells," he says, "learning the techniques from the unforgettable Norbellese maestro Diego Zara to whom I owe everything."