An imposing bell created by the Marinelli Foundry has been presented at the opening ceremony of the week dedicated to the Molise region in the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
    The bell weighs 740 kilos, measures 110 cm in height and has a diameter of 105 cm.
    The presence of the bronze oeuvre at the Italy Pavilion has been promoted by Molise's regional councillor's office for business, economic development and the internationalization of enterprises, led by Andrea Lucente, and has a strong symbolic value.
    The bell, in fact, features bas-reliefs including the artistically intertwined shapes of Italy and Japan symbolizing the historic and cultural connection between the two countries.
    The symbols of previous Expo editions in Osaka - a universal exhibition in 1970 and an exhibition dedicated to agriculture in 1990 - are also meaningfully represented on the bell.
    On one side of the bell, a cherry tree's roots are deeply planted in a clod of earth, reproducing the shape of Molise.
    Higher up, the word Molisakura joins Molise and Japan through the Sakura flower, a symbol of renaissance and ephemeral beauty, accompanied by the sentence 'Tradition blooms in the future'.
    The bell also features the mascot of the Italy Pavilion, Italia-chan, the kawaii-style doll with the colours and symbols of Italy created by Simone Legno.
    Finally, the bell represents a message of universal peace.
    At the centre, the image of Hiroshima's Genbaku Dome, a peace memorial honouring remembrance and resilience, is flanked by delicate paper cranes, a Japanese symbol of hope and longevity.
    Two Italian olive trees meanwhile represent peace and the connection between past and future.
    The dramatic spirit of the bas-relief is softened by the almond blossoms decorating the bell.
    The engraving '80° Hiroshima' commemorates the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, urging the public to reflect on the importance of shared memory and cooperation for a better world.
    The bell produced by the historic Marinelli Foundry was blessed by Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, a Japanese Catholic cardinal and the Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu since August 15, 2023.
    At the end of the exhibition, the bell will be donated to the city of Hiroshima as a gesture of peace and a sign of closeness between the territories.

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