The fifteenth century gothic bell tower appears at the side of the basilica. At the top of the tower are the eight bells, produced by the metalworker, Felice Bizzozero, from Varese. These bronze bells, produced in 1843, are considered to be amongst the best set in existence today and were even used in three album recordings.
The eight bells, the biggest of which has a diameter of 1.75 metres and weighs 3.3 tons, are named after different saints, the Virgin Mary and the Guardian Angel. To this day they are played by Desio’s bell ringing group.
The presence of bronze bells in the basilica dates back to before the sixteenth century, which explains the merriment and the participation with which the local people took part in the installation of the current set in 1843: reports from the time describe the police having to step in to keep order amongst the large number of people.
