Mar 17, 2023
PARIS’S CONCIERGERIE …. AND PARIS’S OLDEST CLOCK …

Locals often overlook it, but tourists never miss the chance to capture a photo in front of it. I’m referring to Paris’s oldest timepiece, installed in 1370. Remarkably, after 643 years, it continues to keep accurate time and chimes melodiously each hour.

Paris’s oldest clock was mounted on the northeast corner of the Palais de Justice’s façade on Boulevard du Palais, situated on Ile de la Cité, one of the two islands on the River Seine in central Paris. The clock was the brainchild of John the Good, King of France from 1350 until his death in 1364 in London at the age of 45. Besides the clock, he also established the Franc, but that’s another tale.

Historical records reveal that the clock’s purpose was to help Parisians regulate their daily affairs, both day and night.

Over its 643-year history, the clock has undergone several restorations. The initial restorations took place in 1418 and 1472. In 1585, sculptor Germain Pilon added two sculptures representing Justice and Law on either side of the clock. The clock faced damage during the Revolution, necessitating another restoration in 1849. The timekeeping mechanism was also replaced during this period, and it still functions accurately today, 164 years later.

The most recent restoration occurred in 2012, just in time for the summer tourist season. The clock now boasts a striking blue and gold appearance, with the longer hand resembling an arrow and the shorter one adorned with a fleur-de-lis.

The clock’s restoration was part of a larger renovation project for the Palais de Justice, which includes the Sainte-Chapelle chapel and the Conciergerie. The Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before her execution at the current Place de la Concorde, was once home to French monarchs. The first French king to reside there was Clovis in the 6th century.

The royal residence was later called Palais de la Cité, with Charles V, John the Good’s son, being the last French king to live there before relocating to the Louvre in 1358. The Louvre was later replaced by the Palace of Versailles due to its cold and drafty conditions.

In 1391, a section of the palace was converted into a prison, while another part became the seat of Paris’s parliament. The prison remained in operation until 1914 when it was designated as a historical monument. Among its most famous prisoners were Marie Antoinette and Robespierre.

The Conciergerie was known for its harsh conditions, housing several hundred prisoners in unsanitary and overcrowded cells during the Reign of Terror. Those sentenced to death were allowed a final feast before their execution.

The Conciergerie is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and tickets cost 8.50€ ($11/£7). If you visit before Monday, February 25, you can also enjoy the temporary exhibition Rêve de Monuments, featuring paintings of real and imaginary castles and chapels.

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