The original bell was 16-ton, cast in 1856 and because the tower was not yet ready, it was tested in the palace courtyard. During the test, the bell fell apart. A new one was made from its pieces in 1858. It weighed 13.5 tons, was 2.3 m high, and 2.9 m in diameter. It was suspended on the tower. The clock first started ticking on May 31, 1859, and the bell rang for the first time on July 11 of the same year. Due to the installation of too heavy a heart, the bell broke in two places. The heart of the bell was replaced with a lighter one, and the bell was never repaired.
