It is no coincidence that Italy is often described as “the land of a hundred bell towers.” While this expression is sometimes used to highlight divisiveness, suggesting that everyone looks out for themselves at the expense of unity and common purpose, it is also a highly accurate depiction of the country.

In reality, Italy has far more than a hundred bell towers — there are at least 100,000 churches, including 25,000 parishes spread across 226 dioceses. Using this phrase acknowledges their overwhelming presence. Each of these 100,000 churches has a bell tower, meaning that, across Italy, an extraordinary number of bells are ringing.