L'actual Torre de Campanes de l'Església de l'Assumpció de Santa Maria, coneguda a Ontinyent com a "Campanar de la Vila", és la tercera torre que ha tingut aquest temple. De la primera, derruïda cap al 1535, només resta un discutit basament octogonal vora l'antiga "Porta de les Dones", a la Plaça de la Vila. El segon campanar, d'escàs valor artístic, s'alçava vora l'absis, sobre la costera del Regall. El 1683, mentre es despenjaven les campanes per a enderrocar-lo, caigué tota l'estructura junt amb el sostre gòtic de l'Altar, que calgué reconstruir d'urgència. El 24 d'agost de 1659, una comissió d'entesos aconsellà alçar un nou campanar vora el Cantalar de la Bola, sobre el carrer de la Magdalena. Les obres començaren el 1689, dirigides pel pedrapiquer valencià Gaspar Diez i l'ontinyentí Josep Pascual. Acabada la base, es reforçaren els fonaments amb un gran contrafort —l'actual "Soca del Campanar"—, i poc a poc s'alçà la coneguda com "Torre de Lluch", en honor al paleta Albert Lluch, que en dirigí les obres. Com que l'entusiasme popular decaigué i faltaven diners i materials, el poble es dividí en sectors que competien per aportar-hi més ajut, alhora que s'imposava una sisa sobre la carn per a finançar l'obra. El 1705 s'acabà la terrassa de la Sala de Campanes, però la Guerra de Successió n'aturà els treballs. No seria fins el 1744 quan es reprengué la construcció, ara amb un remat en forma de "mitja taronja", obra de l'arquitecte f ra L. Alberto Pina i executada pel veí d'Aielo Vicent Insa, acabada el 1747. Els terratrèmols de març del 1748 esquerdaren el Campanar pels quatre costats, i les reparacions foren sempre insuficients. Un llamp destrossà el cos superior el 26 de maig de 1859, i les runes no s'enderrocaren fins el 1865, per ordre del Governador Civil. El 1892 es completà la restauració definitiva en alçada, gràcies a una subscripció popular impulsada per l'alcalde Francisco Osca, convertint la torre en una de les més altes de la comarca. Durant la Guerra Civil, el Campanar serví com a alimara per a alertar de la presència d'avions bombarders.

The present-day Bell Tower of the Church of the Assumption of Santa María, known in Ontinyent as the "Campanar de la Vila", is the third tower this church has had. Of the first tower, demolished around 1535, only a disputed octagonal base remains, next to the former "Women's Gate" on Plaza de la Vila. The second bell tower, of little artistic value, stood beside the apse, above the Regall slope. In 1683, whilst the bells were being taken down ahead of its demolition, the entire structure collapsed along with the Gothic ceiling of the Altar, which had to be rebuilt urgently. On 24 August 1659, a committee of experts recommended building a new bell tower beside the Cantalar de la Bola, above Magdalena Street. Works began in 1689, led by the Valencian stonemason Gaspar Diez and the local Josep Pascual. Once the base was finished, the foundations were reinforced with a large buttress — today known as the "Soca del Campanar" — and the tower gradually rose, becoming known as the "Torre de Lluch" in honour of the builder Albert Lluch, who oversaw the works. As popular enthusiasm waned and money and materials ran short, the town was divided into sectors that competed to con- tribute the most help, whilst a tax on meat sales was introduced to fund the project. In 1705 the ter- race of the Bell Chamber was completed, but the War of the Spanish Succession halted the works. It was not until 1744 that construction resumed, this time with a dome-shaped crown, designed by the Carmelite architect Fray L. Alberto Pina and built by Vicent Insa of Aielo, completed in 1747. The earth- quakes of March 1748 cracked the Tower on all four sides, and repairs proved consistently inadequate. Lightning destroyed the upper section on 26 May 1859, and the rubble was not cleared until 1865, by order of the Civil Governor. In 1892 the definitive restoration in height was completed, thanks to a public subscription driven by mayor Francisco Osca, making the tower one of the tallest in the region. During the Spanish Civil War, the Bell Tower served as a beacon to warn of approaching bomber planes.

The main Crypt of Saint Mary's church is, without a doubt, the stop that arouses the most curiosity and interest among the visitors. There are not many references about it because at the present time it is still an object of study and research. We don't know exactly the period of the building but it's sure that a lot of mysteries are waiting for us downstairs. It consists of 21 niches where the bodies that used to wait for the resurrection of the dead, standing up were tied to the respective rings. That's why it's a unique building of this kind in the area with the crypt of Penáguila (Alicante). In the centre of the room we find a trapdoor with access to the "osario" (bones ditch), place where the mortal remains of the deceased were deposited once the niches were full. The current "osario" still keeps mortal remains, although it needs an archaeological intervention. The lateral sloping entrance is the place where the lifeless bodies belonging to the clergy were downloaded. As important pieces we can observe the gravestone of the parish priest Dr. Gaspar Blai Arbuixec (1624-1670) who played a leading role during the building of the royal and papal Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. Before we leave the church by the "Good Shepherd" Door we should not forget to see at the highest part on the wall to see the tomb of the Croatian Lope Vaillo de Calderon, one of the three officials that received f rom Jaime I extensive powers to distribute the houses and pieces of land, which where occupied by the moors.