Ancien Hôtel de ville - Bordeaux
N 44° 50.125 W 000° 34.282
30T E 691961 N 4967536
[FR]Autrement appelé la grosse cloche de Bordeaux, c'est le beffroi de l'ancien hôtel de ville. [EN] The Grosse Cloche belfry of the former city hall is arguably one of the best-known landmarks in Bordeaux.
Waymark Code: WMKFTN
Location: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Date Posted: 04/08/2014
Views: 15
[FR] La porte et les tours, dites de la Grosse Cloche, sont classés au titre des monuments historiques par arrêté du 12 juillet 1886. C'est un des rares monuments civils (avec la porte Cailhau) que la ville conserve du Moyen Âge.
Elle a été édifiée au XVe siècle, ouverte sur le rempart du XIIIe siècle et sous laquelle passaient les pèlerins de Saint-Jacques en route pour Compostelle. D'où le nom de la rue Saint-James voisine, Saint-James étant le nom gascon de Saint-Jacques.
Les magistrats de la ville sonnaient la cloche pour donner le signal des vendanges et alerter la population en cas de débuts d'incendies.
C'est la raison pour laquelle elle est depuis toujours le symbole à la ville et figure encore aujourd'hui sur les armoiries de la cité.
L'horloge construite en 1759 d'après les plans du mathématicien et astronome Paul Larroque a remplacée celle de 1567 exécutée par Raymond Sudre. Au-dessus d'elle se trouve un cadran à équation solaire.
[EN] is prominently displayed on the city’s coat of arms. Distinguishing features today include its two surviving towers, its gold-plated copper weather vane in the shape of a large feline (harking back to the period when Bordeaux was under English rule), the Great Bell itself… and its clock, the south face of which boasts an unusual semi-circular dial.
The belfry was added in the 15th century to the remains of the 13th-century Porte Saint-Éloi, one of the gates to the commercial and political heart of the city and a natural extension to the existing Saint-Éloi church. This entrance was also known as Porte Saint-James as it welcomed a steady stream of St. James' Way pilgrims passing through Bordeaux en route to Santiago de Compostela, in north-western Spain.
Positioned adjacent to the old city hall, of which no traces remain, the bell would toll to mark events such as the start of the grape-picking season, or to alert citizens whenever a fire broke out. When, in 1548, Bordeaux rebelled against the ruling Henri II, the King retaliated by confiscating the bell. It was returned in 1561 to much rejoicing. In the 18th century, the bell which remains to date was installed. Cast in 1775, it weighs 7,800 kilograms and is both two metres tall and wide. It now rings out only a handful of times a year, at 11AM on January 1st, May 8th, July 14th, August 28th (to mark the anniversary of the 1944 liberation of Bordeaux) and November 11th; its low-frequency vibrations apparently cause the windows in the neighbourhood to rattle!
Enough about the Great Bell though, how about the clock and its mysterious dial? The timepiece was originally built between 1756 and 1759 to the designs of the mathematician and astronomer Paul Larroque. It replaced a previous model, conceived by Raymond Sudre and installed in 1567. The mechanics were overhauled by local clockmaker Gaston Guignan in 1912 and the clock was recently fully restored.
Dénomination de l'édifice (from Merimee DB): hôtel de ville
Localisation (from Merimee DB): Bordeaux
Adresse de l'édifice (from Merimee DB): rue Saint-James
Siècle de la campagne principale de construction (from Merimee DB): Moyen Age
Précision sur la protection de l'édifice (from Merimee DB):
porte ; tour
Date de versement de la notice (Merimee DB): 07/12/1886
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
Photo with MH logo pictured included?: no
Référence de la notice (from Merimee DB): Not listed
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