The Controversy Over Church Bells in Trausse-Minervois: Residents’ Request Sparks Debate

The bells of the church of Trausse-Minervois in Aude ring out on time day and night. Two new residents of the village complained and asked the mayor of the town to stop the bells at night. The request arouses the incomprehension of many local residents.

In a wine-growing village at the foot of the Montagne Noire, the bells of the Saint-Martin-de-Tours church have been ticking off the hours for years. But now, two residents, living in the village for two years, want the ringing to stop at night. They live near the religious building and the noise bothers them.

It is especially a nuisance at night. At 11 p.m., at midnight, it rings twice and then every hour! Sometimes this noise wakes me up. In terms of decibels, we are above the norm.

A resident of Trausse Minervois

Originally the request to silence the bells

For the moment, these residents of this village of 521 souls have made a simple request to the town hall. This request arouses the incomprehension of many residents interviewed by Éric Henri for France 3 Languedoc-Roussillon. For Nicole, 79 years old and a native of the village, there is no question of stopping the noise she has always known.

The bells are there, they stay there! Period ! I wonder who wants to stop the bells?

Nicole, a resident of Trausse-Minervois

Same observation for Jocelyne who joined the village 3 years ago. She very quickly got used to this campaign noise: “It’s the only sound we have in the village. The sound of the bells has been there for years, it has never bothered anyone. It’s part of the village“.

The mayor of Trausse-Minervois is also surprised by this request. For him, the villagers are attached to traditions and attacking the ringing of bells is an attack on the intangible heritage of the commune. “THE alarm sounded for the two wars and the Montreton wine riots, it remains in the memories“. The request of the two complainants will be examined at the next Municipal Council.

I think that if we let this pass, then it will be barking dogs, grape harvesters, tractors, henhouses? We have other issues to deal with.

Jean-François Saisset, mayor of Trausse-Minervois

The mayor could appeal to the prefect of Aude to avoid transforming a simple internal dispute into a legal dispute.

This case echoes that of Saint-André-de-Valborgne. In 2018, tourists complained about noise pollution linked to the church bell tower. Annoyed by these criticisms, the mayor has since installed a sign to warn against rural noise at the entrance to his village.

In France, a law protects “sounds and smells” as characteristics of natural spaces. Promulgated in January 2021it aims to avoid conflicts in rural areas around the crowing of roosters or cicadas, the sound of church bells or around the necks of cows, or even the smell of horse manure.