The Sigismund Bell is the biggest bell in Krakow. It was made by Hans Behem from Nuremberg in 1520 by the order of the king Sigismund the Old. It weighs 9 tons and the clipper of the bell weights 365 kilograms. This is the most famous bell in Poland. It rings only during the most important religious celebrations like Easter, Christmas, st. Sigismund's day, st. Stanislaw's day and when happens something that one cannot predict like catastrophe, death of some noble person or important event. Until today it is run by 12 men - members of Brotherhood of the Wawel Bells. One says that touching the clipper of the Sigismund Bell with left hand gives luck and one wish will happen. The historians calculate that it took one hour to place the bell in the tower. Nowadays is the second large bell in Poland.
  At the entrance to the tower there is the old clipper and copy of the painting by Jan Matejko 'Hanging Sigismund's Bell'.
  In the tower there are four bells more. They are so called dead bells, it means they are not in use. All bells got names: Stanisław, Wacław, Urban and Cardinal.