Sundial @ Cathédrale Saint-Léonce - Fréjus, France
Posted by: 
Narayan,
N 43° 25.984 E 006° 44.203
32T E 316821 N 4811396
Wall mounted sundial from 1781 near the main entrance of the cathedral Saint-Léonce.
Waymark Code: WMZX2A
Location: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Date Posted: 01/16/2019
Views: 7
The cathedral of Fréjus,
Cathédrale Saint-Léonce, is a Roman Catholic church from the 5th century. It is located in the city center at Place Camille Formigé and was the seat of the bishop of the diocese of Fréjus. In 1957 the diocese was united with the diocese of Toulon, and the cathedral became a so-called co-cathedral.
The cathedral is embedded in a larger complex of religious buildings including a baptistery, a cloister and the bishop's residence. All of these buildings have been built between the 5th and the 13th century, a period, when Fréjus was an important religious and commercial centre of Provence.
A historic and beautiful sundial has been added to the cathedral's outer wall in 1781. It is located right next to the main entrance in a height of about five meters, right under the church's bell tower. The sundial consists of a quadratical stone plate with engravings, that have been filled with golden paint. In addition to the hours and symbols for sunrise and dawn, it is inscribed with the text "Res Sacras Cleri Themidis - Martisque Labores & Patrios Coetus Lumen & Umbra Regit", translating to "Sacred, the judgments of Themis and the works of Mars, and the assemblies of the ancients are regulated by light and shadow".