The Washington Peace Carillon

The essay begins with a celebration of Ghent’s 52‑bell carillon, the instrument that sounded the 1814 peace treaty between America and Britain. From that triumphant moment the author traces how centuries of war have silenced and melted countless bells, leaving the towers of Flanders and Artois mute. He proposes a concrete remedy: recasting captured enemy cannon into new “peace bells” for the capitals of the allied nations, turning instruments of war back into music.

Interlaced with that vision are vivid anecdotes about earlier monumental bells—such as the Austrian emperor’s 1710 Turkish‑cannon bell and the German “Emperor” and “Gloriosa” bells forged from French guns after 1870. By dissecting their ornate inscriptions and lion‑clawed crowns, the writer shows how sound can embody both triumph and hubris. He imagines new towers rising like modern Giottos, their walls built from fragments of shattered cathedrals, turning ruins into foundations for a lasting peace.