The largest bell, commonly known as “il Campanone,” was cast in 1888 by the Giuseppe Mazzola company of Valduggia. It has a mouth diameter of 1.38 meters and weighs 1.74 tons. Originally, it bore the inscription:
“By overthrowing tyranny, this resounding bronze announced freedom to the people and, as an omen of the victorious battles, the news. Vittorio Emanuele and Garibaldi. Commissioned by the Fabbriceria—with the support of the Municipality.”

On November 4, 1918, to celebrate the victory at the end of World War I, it was played with great enthusiasm but little experience by the townspeople, resulting in an irreparable crack. After numerous repair attempts, it became necessary to recast it.

In 1922, the bell was lowered from the tower and transported to the Valduggia foundry. A few months later, it was reinstalled through an opening created by removing the columns of the bell chamber. Since then, it bears an inscription written by the then 15-year-old poet Cecilia Caro from Carrara:
“Resounding through the infinite skies, the Song of Songs, the Victory of Italy—against this bronze my voice was shattered. Now, anew, in the recast bronze, I sing of death and life, of sacred mysteries, of the holy bond between brothers, and of peace. Cast in February 1923 by Roberto Mazzola of Valduggia, commissioned by the Fabbriceria of the Carrara Cathedral, with the support of the Municipality and the citizens.”

The bell is adorned with the coat of arms of the city of Carrara, topped by a marquisate crown, while on the opposite side is a depiction of the Holy Trinity. Perpendicular to this, there is an image of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the glory of angels, as well as St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron of the Abbey. At the top, the Eucharistic monogram of St. Bernardino of Siena is engraved.

The second-largest bell, in terms of size and volume, was also cast in 1888. It weighs 890 kg, has a mouth diameter of 1.10 meters, and bears the inscription:
“We invite the people, in joy and sorrow, to glorify the martyrs of religion and to honor and commemorate those who came before us. May it last as long as the world endures.”

The bell was cast in 1888 by the renowned Giuseppe Mazzola Foundry in Turin, as indicated by the markings on the bronze. It features the coat of arms of the Municipality of Carrara, framed by laurel garlands. The other sides of the bell depict St. Ceccardo, the patron saint of the city and municipality of Carrara, St. Andrew the Apostle, patron of the Collegiate Church, and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. The edge of the bell bears the inscription:
“May it last as long as the world endures – Commissioned by the Fabbriceria, with the support of the Municipality – Cast in Turin in December 1888 – The Fabbriceria: Prof. Emilio Bernarbò, Prof. Francesco Mariotti, Dr. Luigi Sarteschi.”

The third bell has a mouth diameter of 0.95 meters and weighs 610 kg. It was originally cast in 1888 by the renowned Giuseppe Mazzola Foundry in Turin and recast in 1928 by the renowned Lorenzo Lera Foundry in Lammari, Capannori, in the province of Lucca. It bears the inscription:
“In joy and sorrow, I will always represent the spirit of our people. Year of Our Lord 1928.”

The bronze is adorned with depictions of the Assumption of the Virgin, the Crucified Christ supported by two angels, St. Andrew the Apostle, and a fasces with the inscription “Year VI of the Fascist Era.” The edge of the bell also carries the inscription:
“Commissioned by the Fabbriceria, with the support of the Municipality – Cast in Lucca in September 1928 – May it last as long as the world endures – Cav. Prof. Francesco Mariotti, Cav. Avv. Pier Francesco Cucchiari, Prof. Pilade Caro, Count Enrico Lazzoni.”

The fourth and smallest bell bears the inscription:
“I praise, I call, I now weep; I ward off evil, I celebrate, I adorn. 1835.”

It weighs 420 kg and has a mouth diameter of 0.72 meters. It was cast in 1835 and recast in 1928 by the renowned Lorenzo Lera Foundry in Capannori, Lucca, retaining its original inscription while adding a new one along the edge:
“Commissioned by the Fabbriceria, with the support of the Municipality – Cast in Lucca in September 1928 – May it last as long as the world endures – Cav. Prof. Francesco Mariotti, Cav. Avv. Pier Francesco Cucchiari, Prof. Pilade Caro, Count Enrico Lazzoni.”

The bronze is adorned with depictions of Christ on the cross, surrounded by two praying cherubs, the Assumption of the Virgin, and a fasces with the inscription “Year VI of the Fascist Era.”

Until then, the cathedral’s bells were rung using a method known as the “swinging” or “free-swinging clapper” system. Although widely used, this method exerted significant stress on the tower’s masonry. To prevent irreversible damage to the ancient bell tower, metal reinforcement rings were installed—still visible today—to consolidate the structure and mitigate the vibrations caused by the movement of the bells. Additionally, a new iron framework was built to accommodate the bells, including the massive Campanone weighing 1.74 tons. The ringing system was also changed from the swinging method to the “falling clapper” system.

As early as 1571, a clock was installed on the bell tower of the cathedral. This mechanical system also featured a dial on the east side of the tower at the height of the triple-arched windows, which was cemented over in 1832 when, after more than 260 years of honorable service, the ancient mechanism was replaced with the equipment that remains in place to this day.

The current clock, dating back to 1832, was manufactured in Geneva by Allamand and Bertrand and was donated by one of the most remarkable figures of the Italian Risorgimento: Pellegrino Rossi. At just 20 years old, he was a professor of law at the University of Bologna, later teaching criminal and Roman law at the University of Geneva and subsequently at the Sorbonne in Paris. After a failed attempt to unify Italy in 1815, he was forced to flee to Geneva, Switzerland. On November 15, 1848, at just 51 years old, he was fatally stabbed in the throat by supposed patriots. Despite his exile, Pellegrino Rossi never forgot his roots and remained devoted to his hometown of Carrara, to the extent that he donated a clock for the tower of the city’s cathedral.

The clock mechanism weighs over 700 kg and consists of an iron framework of impressive proportions, approximately 2 meters in height and over 3 meters in length. It features three trains of brass gears: one for the hour chime, one in the center for timekeeping, and another for the quarter-hour chime. These were powered by cylinders with wooden spools through which cables ran, supporting elongated counterweights made of roughly hewn white marble.

The clock had an autonomy of about eight days, maintained manually by a clockmaker using a large iron crank. This crank engaged each of the three gear trains, lifting the heavy marble counterweights back to the top of the tower. The pendulum’s long rod ended in a lens reinforced with lead.