Time as authority
The king's clock rivalled the church bells for the city's rhythm.
Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva from Cacau — CC BY 2.0 · Giuseppe Canella — Public domain · d'après Boisseau, Israel Silvestre — Public domain
A square tower at the corner of the Palais de la Cité on the Île de la Cité, carrying the oldest public clock in Paris — installed in 1371 by order of King Charles V. Owning a public clock that struck the hour was then a political matter: time belonged to the Church, marked by the bells of the offices, and a clock placed by the king on his palace meant the state set the city's rhythm too. The present clock face dates from 1585, surrounded by sculpted decoration by Germain Pilon showing two figures representing law and justice, with Latin inscriptions. The palace itself was the seat of the kings of France until the fourteenth century and then became the seat of the courts, and part of it is the Conciergerie — the prison where Marie Antoinette was held before her execution. The clock was restored in 2012 and runs again after decades stopped. Seen free from the street at any time.
The king's clock rivalled the church bells for the city's rhythm.
Germain Pilon's 1585 sculpture around the face.
After decades stopped.
The corner of Quai de l'Horloge, Île de la Cité
ConciergerieThe fortress façade with conical towers on the Seine embankment is the oldest an1 min walk
Sainte ChapelleNo photograph does Sainte-Chapelle justice, and no description either. You enter2 min walk
Tour Saint-JacquesIn a small garden between Châtelet and the Hôtel de Ville stands a flamboyant Go3 min walk
Pont NeufIts name means "New Bridge," and it is the oldest standing bridge in Paris — a f5 min walk
Point Zero of the French RoadsAn octagonal bronze plaque set into the paving of the square before Notre-Dame c5 min walkLooking for halal food near The Clock Tower of the Palais de la Cité? There are several options nearby, from Moroccan and Indian kitchens to quick casual spots and places with a view. Confirm the halal status and opening hours before you go — these can change.
The surviving part of the old palace of the kings of France on the Île de la Cité. After the court moved to the Louvre it became the seat of the courts and a prison. During the Revolution it became the antechamber of the guillotine: more than two thousand seven hundred people passed through it on their way to execution, among them Marie Antoinette, Charlotte Corday and Robespierre himself. The Gothic halls on the ground floor are among the finest surviving fourteenth-century civil architecture in Europe.
Notre-Dame — reopened in December 2024 after the restoration following the 2019 fire, with free entry but heavy crowding and booking advised. The Sainte-Chapelle with its thirteenth-century stained glass, among the most astonishing interiors in Europe. The Conciergerie. And the flower market. The island is small and walked end to end in an hour.
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