Róbert Slíž

Bellfounder

A medieval craft

Róbert is a self-taught, one-of-a-kind bell maker
He only uses medieval techniques
Each bell is unique and takes months to complete

"My grandfather used to maintain the bells in the municipal belfry in Plešivec," says Róbert Slíž. "After visiting the tower of St. Elizabeth in Košice at the age of 12, I became more interested in bells than ever, and at 15, I decided to try and make my first bell". In 2013, Róbert started to produce his first casting mould based on medieval technology. The biggest problem was finding the right recipe for the clay blend so it wouldn’t crack, a process that took about three years of experimentation. During that time Róbert and his father built a small workshop in the area of Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka, and in November 2015 he successfully cast his first bells.

Interview

Is there a bell making tradition in your family?: This craft is usually passed down from generation to generation. However, we did not have a bellfounder in the family and therefore I had no one to learn the craft from. I learned my skills solely by experimenting, and it took me over three years to successfully cast my first bell.
How did you improve your bell making skills?: At the end of the 2019, I got the opportunity to travel to Spain to improve my craft, work for a while and gain experience working on large bells in the workshop of the famous Spanish bell maker Ábel Portilla in Gajana, Cantabria.
How many bells have you made now?: In November 2015 we finally succeeded in casting three small bells in my small workshop in Slovakia. Since then I've created more than 90 of them.
What techniques do you use?: I use medieval techniques only. The moulds in which the bells are cast are made of a mixture of clay with many natural ingredients such as horse droppings and straw. Each of the bells is an original work with a unique character and months of work behind it.

Róbert Slíž is a rising star: he began his career in 2016