St Mark's Clock, Renaissance astronomical clock at Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
St Mark's Clock is a Renaissance astronomical clock housed in a dedicated tower at Piazza San Marco, featuring two bronze figures known as Moors, each about 2.5 meters tall, who strike a large bell every hour. The face contains multiple moving rings that display the time, moon phases, and planetary positions.
The Venetian Republic commissioned brothers Gian Paolo and Gian Carlo Rainieri to build the clock in 1496, completing it in 1499. The timepiece represented an important demonstration of Venice's technical skill and its engagement with astronomical learning.
The clock face displays zodiac signs and moon phases arranged in concentric rings, showing how medieval observers understood the movements of heavenly bodies. This design allowed people standing in the square to read the positions of planets and stars directly.
Guided tours take visitors through spiral staircases inside the tower to reach the upper level where the Moors perform their hourly chiming. Plan to visit during clear weather to fully appreciate the details of the face and the movements of the figures.
Illuminated numerals were added to the mechanism in 1857, making it one of the earliest examples of lit numerical time displays. This addition reveals how the device adapted to new technologies even centuries after its original creation.
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