The Oldest Public Clock in Paris: The Conciergerie Clock Tower
In the middle of the city of Paris, on the Île de la Cité, stands the Conciergerie. The Conciergerie, positioned on the very edge of the Seine River, and with its dramatic four towers, also houses the oldest public clock in Paris. The clock is housed, funnily enough, in the Clock Tower. If you'd like to read about the history of the Conciergerie click here for blog post Marie Antoinette’s Last Prison: A Guide to the Conciergerie, Paris.
The Clock Tower was built by King Jean II (Jean le Bon) between 1350 and 1353, on the corner of what is now the Quai de l'Horloge and the Boulevard du Palais. It rises 47 metres tall and was originally built as a lookout for the Royal Palace. Later In 1370, King Charles V commissioned a clock to be installed in the tower. The clock was designed by Henri de Vic and was the first public clock in Paris.
More...
At a time when hardly any towns had public clocks and people relied on the manual ringing of church bells to sound out the time, the public clock was indeed a symbol of power and superiority.
The Oldest Public Clock in Paris
With intricate craftsmanship and beautiful carvings, a blue and gold fleurs-de-lis patterned background and bells that chimed every hour of every day, it was not until 1585 that the clock received an upgrade. In 1585, Henri III gave it a beautiful multi-coloured square dial, framed in gold leaf with angels and allegories sculpted by Germain Pilon.
Later, in 1418, the council of Paris demanded that the clock have an exterior dial "so that the inhabitants of the city could settle their affairs day and night."
Going forward to 1849, the clock was again worked on and restored because of damage sustained during the French Revolution. The most recent restoration work was carried out in 2012 at which time, historical documents from the National Archives were used to assist the work.
Details to look for on the Clock if you visit
Look for the fleur-de-lys tip on the hour hand of the clock.
Look for the arrow shaped tip on the minute hand of the clock.
Allegorical Statues on either side of the clock representing Law with the sceptre and tablet.
Allegorical statue on the side of the clock representing Justice holding scales and a sword.
Enjoy your visit to the oldest public clock in Paris!
