The Lyon astronomical clock is a seventeenth-century astronomical clock located in Lyon Cathedral. Installed in the cathedral, it is a tall clock with a central octagonal tower supporting several automated figures. Its mechanism uses an astrolabe to indicate the date and the position of the Moon, Sun, Earth, and stars.
The clock has a long documented history in the cathedral, with the first documentary evidence dating from 1383. The original astronomical clock was destroyed in 1562 and reconstructed by Guillaume Nourrisson in 1661. It underwent restoration in 1954, when its perpetual calendar of 66 years was reset. The clock was also altered during the French Revolution, when all royal insignia were removed.
The animated figures include an angel on the left turning the hourglass, an angel on the right keeping the time for three angels that strike bells to sound the hymn of Saint Jean-Baptiste, and the Virgin Mary kneeling in a chapel facing the Angel Gabriel as he opens the chapel door. A dove descends above as a representation of the Holy Spirit, while a Swiss Guard rotates around the dome. The movement stops at the sounding of the hour, and a statue in a western niche rotates at midnight, showing different figures for Sunday through Thursday.
Lyon Astronomical Clock in the Cathedral
The Lyon astronomical clock is a seventeenth-century astronomical clock located in Lyon Cathedral. As a historic timekeeping object, it forms part of the cathedral's interior heritage and is identified by both its function and its setting. The available facts place its significance in its age and its association with the cathedral, making it a notable example of a later early modern clock preserved within a major religious building.
The Astronomical Clock in Lyon Cathedral
The astronomical clock installed in the cathedral of Lyon is a tall clock that combines timekeeping with astronomical display. It uses an astrolabe to indicate the date and the position of the Moon, Sun, Earth, and stars. The first documentary evidence of an astronomical clock in the cathedral dates to 1383, but the original clock was destroyed in 1562. The present version was reconstructed by Guillaume Nourrisson in 1661.
The clock includes a central tower octagon that supports several automated figures. On the left, an angel turns the hourglass, while on the right another angel keeps the time for three angels that strike bells to sound the hymn of Saint Jean-Baptiste. The scene also includes the Virgin Mary kneeling in a chapel and turning toward the Angel Gabriel as he opens the chapel door, a dove descending as a representation of the Holy Spirit, and a Swiss Guard rotating around the dome. The movement stops at the sounding of the hour.
During the French Revolution, all royal insignia were removed from the clock. It underwent restoration in 1954, which reset its perpetual calendar of 66 years. The clock was said to remain accurate until 2019.
Rotating Statue in the Western Niche
The Lyon astronomical clock has a statue in a western niche that rotates at midnight. The rotating figure presents a different scene for each day of the week. On Sunday, Jesus is shown resurrected, while Monday represents Jesus' death. Tuesday shows St. John the Baptist, and Wednesday shows St. Stephen holding the palm of martyrs. Thursday is represented by a child with a chalice and host, Friday by a child with the symbols of crucifixion, and Saturday by the Virgin Mary. This changing display is a distinctive part of the clock's history and description.