Tour de l'Horloge d'Aubusson, Historic clock tower in Aubusson, France
The Tour de l'Horloge is a round medieval stone tower in the center of Aubusson, France. It has a cone-shaped wooden shingled roof, thick walls, narrow windows, and three clock faces pointing in different directions.
The tower was originally part of a larger castle that protected Aubusson, built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the surrounding valleys. Over time, the rest of the castle walls were torn down, but the tower survived and was later fitted with its clock faces.
The name "Tour de l'Horloge" simply means "Clock Tower," and its three clock faces pointing in different directions once let people read the time from across the whole town square. Today, the bell still chimes on the hour, a sound that residents of Aubusson have grown up with for generations.
The tower is easy to spot as it rises above Aubusson's central square and is visible from a distance. A platform added in 2001 gives visitors a view over the town and the surrounding countryside.
The clockwork mechanism inside the tower was built by a local clockmaker named A. Montagnon, using wood and metal parts. It still functions today, though it now runs on electricity, and visitors can see it through windows inside the tower.
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