The Canon Musique Astronomical Clock
Unassuming yet remarkable, this clock from the early 14th century is considered the oldest carillon clock still in working order.
An ancient clock shaped by successive changes
The clock’s shaft and most of its mechanical elements were made at the very start of the 14th century. The case, decorated with two angels, likely dates from the 15th century, while the dial seen today was added in the 18th century.
The clock is thought to have been donated by Étienne Musique, a canon originally from Anagni who was attached to Beauvais Cathedral. Several historical documents attest to its existence and its upkeep over the centuries.
The clock through the centuries
Its history can be read in the layering of its parts and in the surviving archives.
The mechanism
The shaft and most of the mechanical elements are built.
First mention
Account books record repairs carried out by Pierre de Saint-Omer.
The decorated case
The wooden case adorned with two angels is thought to have been added during this period.
The dial
The painted dial visible today completes the medieval ensemble.
A tall, unassuming structure
The clock stands in the Sainte-Thérèse chapel of Saint Peter’s Cathedral. A wooden case rises from a hexagonal stone shaft, pierced with small windows and trefoil ogival arches.
This case houses the mechanism. Above it, a bell tower holds the hour bell. The three weights that drive the movement are hidden inside a hollow pillar.
The dial and its decoration
The 18th-century dial displays the hours in Roman numerals and sits within a richly decorated painted panel.
- a Gothic wooden case;
- trefoil ogival arches;
- two angels in the upper decoration;
- a painted dial added several centuries after the mechanism.
Three distinct functions
The gears are mounted on iron plates joined together with keyed tenons. Together they carry out three complementary tasks.
The hourly movement
A first set of gears governs the steady passage of time and the display of the hour.
The carillon
The carillon mechanism is connected to a keyboard of twelve keys.
The great bell
A third set of gears sounds the great bell housed in the upper bell tower.
The stone shaft
It rises from the ground and supports the case housing the mechanism.
The wooden case
It houses the gearwork and can be opened for winding and maintenance.
The driving force
Housed inside a hollow pillar, they power the clock’s movement.
Discover the Clocks of Beauvais
The cathedral is also home to the monumental clock designed in the 19th century by Auguste-Lucien Vérité. Together, the two clocks span several centuries of horological history.
