I want to hear bells ringing in the morning

I would think if the hotel couldn't give you an answer then the answer would be no. They would be able to tell you if you'll be able to hear bells ringing so I wouldn't count on it. Donna

It may be an impossible quest. More tourists would complain about being awaken by bells than demanding to hear them. The only time I can really remember hearing bells is on special occasions when all of the bells were being rung at the same time. As I remember most bells ring infrequently other than to mark some of the hours like noon. Check with the TI when you get in the city and see if any of the bell towers are doing concerts which is what I think you really want.

Hi Donna and Frank
I was under the impression that the Bell Tower at San Marco rings on the hour. No? A concert would be nice, but what I would really like is to stay at a hotel, and early in the morning wake up to the sound of lovely bells. Ruth

I have stayed in Florence quite a bit. I think it would be hard to stay someplace in the historic center where you would not hear bells.

Remember what Italian church bells are for. They are a call to the faithful to go to church for a mass. When there is a mass they will ring bells beforehand. Once the mass starts they stop. If there is no mass they won't ring. If there are masses in nearby churches at similar times you may hear both or more at once. Find out which church is near where you will be. Then find out what time they have masses. Then see if your room will be facing each church a little before those masses. Then see if your window opens. If it all aligns you may hear the bells, if you are not too far away and the wind is in the right direction. I remember generally hearing bells in Italy closer to 6pm than 6am.

To add to what Nigel said, the call to Mass is more often than not a vigorous clanging sound. Rather different to the melodious bell ringing we are used to in the UK.

Hi, I am interested in the melodious bells, not the clanging ones. On the internet, for example, I can hear the beautiful bells at San Marco. It says they ring every hour. Did they stop doing this? I just think that bells are so beautiful and I hope so much they are part of my Venice, Florence and Rome experience on the RS tour. It is my dream to to wake up to the melodious sound.
Ruth

Ruth, if you are taking a RS tour you might want to contact them to see if they offer any hotels that might get you close to some bells. As has been said, most tourists would complain if the bells woke them in the morning so you may have troubles finding a hotel where that is a possibility. Your tour coordinator should be able to help. Donna

As always, Thank you, Everyone, for your wonderful replies. They are very helpful and I appreciate them very much.
Ruth

Here's a backup plan: download a recording of bells onto your iPod and pretend. :-) Srsly, good luck with your quest.

I have stayed at the Pensione Gueratto and didn't hear any bells. Although it is a short walk of about 20 minutes I don't think it is close enough to hear
bells.

Ruth... I totally understand your desire for that to be a part of your experience...I love hearing the bells and the sound of the train whistle while in Europe...makes me know I'm not at home. I loved being awakened by the call to prayer while in Istanbul and I actually did record it so I could put it in my slideshow as part of the memory. Its the sounds and smells as much as the sights that make the trip memorable. Good luck!

You will probably have the best chance of hearing bells on a Sunday morning (as mentioned above, bells are rung to signal that mass is about to begin). Although Padova isn't on your itinerary, I woke up to beautiful bells ringing to the tune of Salve Regina while staying near the Basilica ... maybe that will give you some incentive to visit there...?! I stayed very near St Mark's square in Venice in July and did not wake up to bells on the Saturday morning I was there. Sorry! Your trip will be wonderful bells or not, but more so if you can find what you're looking for! I hope you do!

Wandering in Florence I found the Piazza del Limbo and the tiny Santi Apostoli church. Found it only because the peeling of the bells startled me as I walked thru a nearby alley. I also recall seeing a hotel directly across from it or maybe it was a restaurant, there was a flag. Anyway, thought "wow, that would be a wake up call to remember." I do know for a fact that the Hotel Cestelli is very close. Might email them to ask about hearing church bells or check trip advisor reviews to see if that is mentioned.