The Gros Horloge

Isabelle Lettéron, Art Historian et Dominique Charlet, Clockmaker

Since the fourteenth century, the Gros Horloge (the word ‘horloge’ was masculine until the eighteenth century) has been installed in the belfry of the city of Rouen. As the keeper of time for the working man, it regulated the life of the city, ringing the hours and the quarters. It is one of the oldest clocks in Europe and also one of the very few whose mechanism still works. Rebuilt in sixteenth century, the pavillon which stands above the street was fitted whith new dials showing the phases of the moon, the day of the week and the time. The whole, with its extremely rich ornamentation, is one of the jewels of the Renaissance in Rouen. The belfry and clock pavilion were restored between 1997 and 2006, and are now open to the public.

This ‘Parcours du Patrimoine’ aims to help people discover an exceptional witness to the history of clock-making, together with a symbol of municipal power, in heart of Rouen.