The town of Bulle-La Tour, with a population of over 26,000, in the canton of Fribourg, is the result of the merger of Bulle and La Tour-de-Trême in 2006.
The clear position of the faithful reinforces the Parish Council's previous decision. The latter had decided to survey parishioners after receiving several complaints from residents who were disturbed in their sleep.
"Over several years, we have received between five and seven requests to stop the bells ringing at night. People also talk to us about it in the street," explains Jean-Claude Mauron, president of the parish council. These requests come mainly from new residents.
In Switzerland, there is no obligation for a parish to decide to stop ringing its bells. Since a ruling by the Federal Court in 2010, church bells have enjoyed special legal protection: the ringing of bells is an integral part of Swiss tradition and constitutes a cultural heritage that must be protected.
The bell tower of the Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens church was rebuilt after the fire of 1805. Two cannons purchased from the State of Fribourg were melted down to create a first set of seven bells.
In 1905, Georges and Francisque Paccard cast five new bells, including the sumptuous bourdon in B-flat 2. The heirs of the Annecy foundry completed the carillon in 2005 with two fixed bells. It is now one of the last "wheelbarrow handle" type instruments in Switzerland.