Gros Horloge, Renaissance clock tower in Rouen, France
The Gros Horloge is a Renaissance clock tower in Rouen with two large copper-faced clock mechanisms and smaller dials beneath them. The wrought-iron mechanism operates a pendulum that controls the striking of the hour bell.
The clock mechanism was built in 1389 by Jourdain del Leche and ranks among Europe's oldest still-operating timekeeping devices. It was later upgraded with a pendulum system that improved its accuracy.
The clock faces display symbols that reflect how people understood the sky and time in the medieval period. It has served as a gathering point for the city, marking the rhythm of daily life for generations of Rouennais.
The clock tower can be visited through guided tours that show the internal mechanisms and the former clockmaker's workshop space. Plan for about 40 minutes to explore the interior and understand how the system operates.
The wrought-iron work is more than twice the size of the Wells Cathedral clock mechanism. This places it among the largest operating timekeeping devices from its era.
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