The 14th Century Astronomical Clock in Rouen
Le Gros Horloge (‘Great Clock’) in Rouen, France / Credit: Reddit user
Le Gros Horloge is a staple in Rouen, the historic city in Normandy, and one of the oldest working clocks in Europe, built in 1389. This astronomical clock spans the street of Rue Du Gros-Horloge, held in place by a beautiful renaissance arch in a gothic belfry from the 14th century.
The oldest part of the monument is the belfry (tower) itself. However, it is not the belfry that was initially constructed. In 1382, Charles VI destroyed the tower and its bells as punishment for the ‘Revolt of La Harelle’ by the citizens of Rouen. The residents then lost all of their communal freedoms that were given to them by Jean Sans-Terre at the start of the 13th century.
The citizens, obviously upset, decided to build a clock in 1389. They then asked the local bailiff of Rouen for permission to place it where the last belfry was. It was granted and a new tower was to begin construction along with it. This new tower’s core now sits on the initial belfry’s foundation.
The clock was completed in 1389 by Jean de Felain, who together with his wife were commissioned to take care of the clock in exchange for hospitality within the belfry. Jean de Felain was the first commissioner of the clock, and since 1389, there have been very few modifications to it. His apartment in the belfry can still be visited today.
A drawing of Le Gros Horloge from 1885 with the belfry, a current image of the belfry from 2005.
Today, if you enter the belfry, you will get to see the clockmaker’s workshop, the earliest town bells, and the 14th century machinery of the initial clock mechanism. If you go to the top, you will get panoramic views of the city of Rouen and will be able to see the famous Rouen Cathedral in the distance. The Gros Horloge and its belfry have been listed as a historic monument since 1862.
West-facing clock which can be seen walking from Place du Vieux-Marche, east-facing clock seen walking from the cathedral.
The dial’s diameter is 2.50 metres. A single hand ending with a depiction of a lamb shows the hour.
The dials are also rich in astronomical symbolism. On both the east and west clock faces, an individual hand points out the hour of the day, moving over 24 golden sun rays that are surrounded by a blue sky with stars. The moon phases are indicated in the sphere on the top section of the clock. It completes a full rotation in 29 days.
Many depictions of sheep (like the pointer on the clock hand) show the importance of the wool trade to the city of Rouen from the past. The Paschal Lamb, which is part of Rouen’s coat of arms, is depicted on the bottom of the arch.
The archway under the Gros Horloge (Great Clock) in Rouen, France. / Credit: Flickr
Looking at the clock face, under the 6 o’clock Roman numeral, a divine creature can be seen on a chariot indicating the day of the week. The divine creatures are as follows: Diane as the moon (Monday), Mars (Tuesday), Mercury (Wednesday), Jupiter (Thursday), Venus (Friday), Saturn (Saturday), and Apollo (Sunday).
Portion of the clock which indicates the day of the week / Credit: Le Viking
In the case of the above photo, it would represent the divinity of Mars, indicating Tuesday.
Although the clock’s mechanism is one of the oldest in all of Europe, it has been powered by electricity since the 1920s. Not to worry though, as the movement is still working perfectly.
Le Gros Horloge’s mechanism is still perfectly intact. It is said to be the oldest surviving quarter-striking clock mechanism. / Credit: Jacques Tanguy
The city of Rouen is a historical treasure. Although it was heavily damaged in WW2, it still has plenty of medieval, gothic, and renaissance-era imagery.
Timber-framed buildings seen from under the renaissance arch, the buildings are in fact leaning over. / Credit: Reddit user
In some form, Rouen was also part of many other interesting conflicts throughout history. The ninth century Viking raids, the Hundred Years war from 1337-1453, the wars of religion from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries – have all included Rouen. These were then followed by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War II, where almost half of Rouen was destroyed! Bullets and shrapnel can still be found lodged within the buildings.
Le Gros Horloge is positioned between a beautiful Gothic cathedral that was often painted by Monet during his Cathedral series from 1892-1894, and the market square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431.
Joan of Arc before being burned at the stake in Rouen (1431) and the cathedral painted by Claude Monet in his Cathedral Series (1892-1894).
The famous pedestrian street named ‘Rue Du Gros-Horloge’, in which the astronomical clock is located, was named directly after the famous clock from 1389. Which just goes to show the importance of this clock given the rich history of the area.
Despite not using its original mechanical capabilities, Le Gros Horloge is one of the oldest, working clocks in all of Europe. The city of Rouen’s rich in horological and European history makes this beautiful clock all the more interesting as it is enveloped in the many stories of the city around it. Before being decommissioned for electricity in 1928, it is said the clock had run for over 5 million hours without stopping once.
By: Eric Mulder
The Street of the Grand Clock, 1880. Drawn by H. Toussaint. / Credit: Rouen Illustre
Read more:
Tanguy, Jacques. “Le Gros-Horloge.” Rouen Histoire, http://www.rouen-histoire.com/GHorloge/GrosHorloge.htm.
Guernier, Pierre. “Gros-Horloge, the pride of Rouen.” French Moments, https://frenchmoments.eu/gros-horloge-of-rouen/.
“The Great Clock (French: Le Gros Horloge).” Wikimapia, http://wikimapia.org/2104015/The-Great-Clock-French-Le-Gros-Horloge.
Dawson, Thomas. “LE GROS HORLOGE: RENAISSANCE TIME IN ROUEN.” Archaeology Travel, https://archaeology-travel.com/tour-of-france/le-gros-horloge-rouen/.