St Elijah’s Church in Bale: Concetta and its façade bell tower
St Elijah’s Church in Bale has a 12-metre bell tower built into its façade. Also known as Concetta, it stands to the west of the old town.
Twin-arched windows and blind niches
The church is also known as the Church of the Immaculate Conception. A square stone bell tower rises from the façade of this small, single-nave church dating from the 11th century. Unlike the freestanding tower beside Bale’s parish church, the tower and church here form a single building.
Near the top of the tower, each side has a window with two arched openings. Tall blind niches articulate the walls below. The church has a rectangular plan with an inscribed apse: its sanctuary is contained within the straight end wall rather than projecting beyond it.
Sant’Elia, west of the old town
Concetta adds a western stop to a walk around old Bale. From Soardo-Bembo Castle, the route leads across La Musa Square towards Sant’Elia, the street beside the church.
For a different form of small church, compare the façade of the Church of the Holy Spirit in the old town. A stone bell gable rises above its façade, while the interior contains frescoes from the second half of the 15th century.
Address: 52211 Bale