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Famous Organ in Carunchio | Print |
In the town of Carunchio, province of Chieti, there is an organ in the church of San Giovanni Battista which is famous in all of Europe. This organ was first built in 1692 by Liberatore Pallotta, an organist in Agnone. However, an inscription on the inside of the organ leads historians to believe that it was then purchased or inherited in 1775 by a certain Francesco D'Onofrio from the town of Caccavone (known today as Poggio Sannita), who reconstructed the organ and added to it some very particular harmonic characteristics which have made it famous.

The face of the organ is richly carved in baroque style and decorated with gold. The impressive mechanics inside the organ include a water stop that makes the sound of a singing bird, as well as two angels on the sides holding trumpets which also sound. One of the principals is constructed on the sequence of 9+9+9 on three decorated spans on the face of the organ.

Few people are able to play this organ, but several times a year musicians gather to put on concerts in the church.
organo carunchio.jpg

The specifics of the organ:

Face of the organ contains 31 tin pipes, the 16' principal from Do(2)
45 keys on the keyboard [Do(2) - Do(5)] with the first short octave
8 pedals [Do(1) - Si(1)] with short octave joined constantly to manual
Stops activated by pulling with brass handles, in two columns to the right of the keyboard

16' principal - vox humana
2nd 8' principal - Flauto traverso (4' from Do1)
Octave - Fifth flute
5th in double tenth - two (flute + octave)
10th 5th
10th 9th
20th 2nd
20th 9th
Pedal and pulled all-stops
Two water stops for bird sound
Two shepherd's pipes (zampogna)
Drum
Tremulant
Double-bass stop

Air pressure: 60 mm in water column
Mesotonic temperament
Choir: 405 Hz at 16°C

Restored in 1998 by a company called Inzoli

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