A bell is born and a crowd is fed

Today’s festivities began with the removal of the bell cast yesterday night. While we waited for Estrosi, mayor of Nice (and also minister of industry), theclamps were removed from the mold, and we watched flags being thrown over a background of drum and fife music. OnceEstrosi arrived, themold removal could begin. The manager of Paccard explained that to help the bell dislodge from its mold, the casing needed to be hammered. He presented the hammer to Estrosi for “a first few strikes,” butonce Estrosi had started, hekept going, despite polite requests from Paccard workers to let them take over. After a few minutes of hammering, thebell was finially dislodgedandit came out of its mold. It was covered in residue, which Paccard workersbegan to remove.Estrosi posed for another photo, then workerssandblastedandpolishedthe bell.The finished bell will resemble itstwosisters, also cast for the 150th anniversary of Nice joining France.

While the bell was being sandblasted and

By fraise

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