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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Tower of the Clock of Bar-le-Duc is an old fortified tower built in the 12th century in the framework of the fortifications of the castle of the High Town. Originally circular and with murderers, it was used for military surveillance and defence. Its avant-garde architecture for the time made it a key element of the castral enclosure, among six similar towers. It also symbolized Ducal power, with practical functions such as curfew or fire alarm thanks to a sound code known to the inhabitants.

In 1381 the Duke Robert I of Bar installed a "big clock" oriented towards the castle, marking his evolution towards a civil role. The tower then becomes a temporal and social landmark for the Barisians, rhythmizing their daily lives (ceremonies, alerts, fires). After repeated fires (1500, 1639) and lightning strikes damaging its bells, its upper part is remodelled several times. In 1608, a second dial was added to the City Basse by Jean Vincent, president of the Chamber of Accounts, followed by a third in 1752 for the City Haute.

In 1670, under the command of Louis XIV, the fortifications of Bar-le-Duc were dismantled, but the tower was spared for its public utility, although it was lost and lost its original circular appearance. Ranked a historic monument in 1941, it underwent restorations after a disaster in 1940 and a restoration of its dial in 1994. Today, it embodies the medieval history and identity of Bar-le-Duc, with its two dials still visible.

Nicknamed "Cure Tower" or "Belfry Tower", it was also linked to local traditions such as curfew. Its "eighty degree" staircase symbolically connects the High Town (noble) to the Lower Town (popular). A web-documentary (2016) and publications have valued its heritage, highlighting its role in collective memory.

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