Campanile bells toll on opening
Refurbished Campanile opens to herald inclusive chapter in history of Bay people
COMPLETE with breathtaking views, an art gallery and state-of-the-art bells, Port Elizabeth’s iconic Campanile memorial was officially relaunched and opened to the public yesterday. For those dreading the 204-stair spiral staircase, a top-notch lift has been installed in the 50m-tall building, which has been topped with a viewing portal where visitors can enjoy 180-degree views of the harbour from the observation deck capsule.
The roughly R18-million the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) splurged on the upgrade and renovations to the 1820 Settler commemorative memorial included a complete overhaul of the interior of the building, including the Campanile’s 17ton bells.
Installed under the actual 25-bell carillon are ghost bells that light up during chiming or when visitors press keys on an interactive silver console keyboard.
Originally only housing 23 bells, two additional bells were installed with new inscriptions dedicated to the people of Nelson Mandela Bay and the deceased crew of the SS Mendi, a ship which sank in 1917 in the English Channel and resulted in the deaths of 646 people, most of them black South African troops.
Speaking at the official relaunch yesterday, economic development, agriculture and tourism mayoral committee member Andrew Whitfield said the longawaited reopening of the Campanile showed the diverse heritage of Port Elizabeth.
“It most certainly introduces a very creative product to our existing basket of heritage tourism assets,” he said.
“It will also offer residents, tourists and holidaymakers a world-class tourism experience.”
MBDA planning and development manager Dorelle Sapere said the former colonial heritage site had been re-envisioned and now stood for an era encompassing a new story for all the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.
“It was important for us to create a new story, to tell all of our stories,” she said.
“The newly installed lift is [also] very important in opening up the building to new audiences.”
The imported stainless steel lift is accessible from the ground floor and stops on all six levels of the building, as well as the top floor with the viewing deck.
Visitors are also able to look up at the refurbished bells, which chime between the hours of 6am and 9pm.
Those who attended yesterday’s launch were treated to the Campanile bells chiming verses from Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
As the starting point of the Route 67 tourism trail, the Campanile boasts an art installation outside the building showcasing memorable moments in South African history.
Inside the building, a silver stainless steel plaque is installed on the 67th step of the spiral staircase with an image of former president Nelson Mandela embossed on it.
Bay mayor Athol Trollip said the upgrade and renovations had been undertaken with several integrated development planning goals in mind, including growth and development of the city’s tourism and creative economies.
“It is now up to each resident, tourism business owners in formal and informal sectors of our economy, our local tourism authorities and the city’s creative communities to work hard to leverage this new heritage tourism asset and to celebrate and embrace it as a public and memorial space that has been physically and symbolically transformed to create a more inclusive heritage identity for our city,” he said.
The Campanile is open to the public on weekdays from 8am to 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. Admission is free but donations are welcomed.