A beautiful gilded Conciergerie clock is hanging on the Clock Tower of the Conciergerie. It is situated at the junction of Quai de l’Horloge and Boulevard du Palais in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The Conciergerie clock is France’s first public clock.
The Conciergerie Clock in Paris
The Clock Tower (Tour de l’Horloge) was built between 1350 and 1353. It is the Conciergerie‘s tallest tower, rising at 47 metres. Since 1371 it has housed the remarkable clock whose purpose was to help Parisians regulate their activities day and night.
Then, in 1585, this clock was enhanced by a gilded one still in place created by Germain Pilon. It featured a multicoloured face with allegories of the Law and Justice framing the actual clock.
The events of the French Revolution severely damaged it. However, it was not until 1849 that clockmaker Lepaute restored the clock.
Finally, during the latest restoration, old documents from the National Library inspired the restorers in their work. The restoration programme ended in 2012 and gave the clock its initial splendour.
The long arm of the clock depicts an arrow, while the shorter has a fleur-de-lys at its tip.
The Latin inscriptions
Below the clock, a Latin inscription reads:
“MACHINA QUAE BIS SEX TAM JUSTE DIVIDIT HORAS, JUSTITIAM SERVARE MONET LEGESQUE TUERI”
English translation:
“This mechanism which divides time into perfectly equal twelve hours helps you to protect justice and defend the law”.
Then, above the clock, another inscription refers to King Henri III (1551-1589), King of Poland and later became King of France:
“QUI DEDIT ANTE DUAS TRIPLICEM DABIT ILLE CORONAM”
English translation:
“He who has already given two crowns will be given a third.”
More photos
- To access the Conciergerie in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, the closest metro stations are Cité (line 4) and Pont-Neuf (line 7).
- Get your Priority Entrance eTickets to the Conciergerie.
Where to stay in the 1st arrondissement?
Hotels in Paris vary from stunning luxurious places like the Ritz and the Meurice to much simpler hotels in charming older parts of the city. However, due to its central location, you will find the level of prices of all types of accommodation relatively high in the 1st arrondissement. Depending on your budget, you might want to find cheaper accommodation further away from the hyper centre of Paris!
Therefore, the district has more than 70 hotels totalling over 4,000 rooms. Of these, eleven are 5-star hotels, including some of the most famous:
- the Hôtel Meurice
- the Hôtel du Louvre
- the Ritz (Place Vendôme)
- the Hôtel Costes
- the Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal
- the Hôtel Régina
Here is a map showing the nearest accommodation:
