top of page
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Spotify
  • bluesky

The Global Family Business Champions

Handcrafting Papal Bells With Italy’s Oldest Family Business


The Marinelli Pontifical Foundry is Italy’s oldest family business and among the three oldest family businesses worldwide.


Campane Marinelli foundry has a very long history; the first bell was made around the year one thousand and since then their work has been a long sequence of success and honours. One of the most significant honour that the foundry can boast, is the possibility to use the Papal Arm Coast in their production; it was Pope Pio XI in 1924 to grant the privilege to the foundry.


Campane Marinelli foundry, considered to be the oldest foundry in the world, is located in Agnone (Agnéune in the local dialect), a small Italian town of 5,200 inhabitants in the province of Isernia in Molise.


The Marinellis have been handcrafting bells since 1000 AD, and current co-owners, operators and brothers Armando and Pasquale Marinelli are the 26th generation to run the business.

Next Event
The Scottish Family Business Conference

Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Our annual Scottish flagship event for the family business sector in Scotland.

Most Recent Publication
Publication Title

Description

Read more
Jobs Board Advert.jpg
Most Read
The Importance Of Family Businesses Around The World

Family businesses, ranging from small local shops to multinational corporations, are the backbone of economies around the globe, making a...

Examining The Three Generation Rule Of Family Business

The 'three-generation rule' which is also known as 'shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations' posits that wealth and businesses...

Narcissistic Behaviour In Family Firms

The impact of narcissistic behaviour in family businesses is a complex and often destructive force that can affect both the operational...

Key Components Included In A Family Charter

A family charter, also known as a family constitution or family governance document, is a formal written agreement or set of principles...

Family Businesses And Their Significance In South Korea

South Korea’s economic story in the latter half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first is often told in terms of its chaebols — large family-controlled conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyund...

membership-advert.jpg

About the Author

bottom of page