The bell gable (Spanish: espadaña, Catalan: espadanya, French: clocher-mur) is an architectural element crowning at the upper end of the wall of church buildings, usually in lieu of a church tower. It consists of a gable end in stone, with small hollow semi-circular arches where the church bells are placed. It is a characteristic example of the simplicity of romanesque architecture.
Bell-gables or espadañas are especially common in small village churches throughout the Iberian Peninsula, for they were easier and cheaper to build than a church tower or bell tower. This simple and sober architectural element would later be brought to the Americas and the Philippines by Iberian colonizers.[1] The bell gable usually rises over the front façade wall, but in some churches they may be located on top of any other wall or even on top of the toral arch in the midst of the roof. In Catalonia and the Valencian Community bell-gables are also known as campanar de paret (wall bell-tower) or campanar de cadireta.[2] (little-chair bell-tower) because it reminds of the back of a chair.
In Écija the bell tower of the church of Santa Bárbara fell destroyed by a lightning strike in 1892 and was replaced by an espadaña,[3] a more expedient solution than rebuilding the tower.
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In the Netherlands a bell-gable is an architectural shape of a gable or facade. Mostly used at houses who are more narrow, with mostly two or three windows wide. The shape of the top of the gable is shaped like a church bell. This type of gables was popular during the 17th and 18th century. The earlier bell-gables are usually lower and decorated in a different style many flowers and fruits are used. Bell-gables made in the 18th century are usually decorated with Louis Quinze ornaments, resulting in more decorations but loss of flowers and fruits as decoration.