Tour de l’Horloge

Originally used as a county prison, the tower was converted into a clock and belfry in 1483. A fire destroyed the tower in 1825, but it was restored, and much of it rebuilt identically by the great French architect Paul Boeswillwald. Attached to the tower is a chamber containing the clock mechanism which has been in operation since 1483, designed by the ingenious clockmaker Jean. The particularity of the clock comes from its two hands: the clock of Auxerre thus indicates both the solar time...