Tour de l'Horloge, Clock tower in La Roquebrussanne, France.
Tour de l'Horloge is a clock tower in La Roquebrussanne's village center that rises approximately 17 meters above the surrounding buildings. It houses a mechanical clock mechanism and bell system with astronomical imagery displayed on its exterior.
The tower was built in 1616 and has marked time for the village through the centuries. Its current clock mechanism dates from 1887 and was manufactured by Arsène Crétin, a craftsman from the Jura region.
The tower's façade displays cosmological symbols with a central sun surrounded by celestial bodies that reflect medieval astronomical understanding. These representations remain visible today and give the square its distinctive character.
The tower stands prominently in the village center and is easily visible and accessible from the main square. Visitors can admire the clock mechanism and bell system from outside, though the interior is generally not open to the public.
The original 1887 clock mechanism still operates through a system of counterweights that keep the mechanical parts moving daily. Weekly maintenance by municipal workers still requires approximately 120 hand-crank turns to wind the system.
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