With the invention of clocks in the Medieval Ages, many cities hung clocks in public areas. Le Gros Horloge or “The Great Clock” in Rouen, France was built in the fourteenth century on the archway over a gate in the ancient Roman walls and rang the bells of the nearby Gothic belfry. The city installed a face on the clock in 1409, with just one hour hand to tell the time and a globe showing the phases of the moon. It was later rebuilt in 1527-1529. On the underside of the arch are depictions of sheep showing the importance of the wool trade in Rouen and the Paschal Lamb, which has been part of Rouen’s coat of arms since the 14th century.
This town had a great cathedral and many nice shops, but it’s claim to fame is that it is the town where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, not far from the Great Clock.
