Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The belfry of Riom, also called Tower of the Clock, was built in the 14th century at the initiative of the city's consuls, wishing to affirm the growing power of the bourgeois. Financed in part by Jean de Berry, Duke of Auvergne, it housed the consular bell, a symbol of the freedoms granted by the franchise charter of 1270. The tower was built on a bourgeois house purchased in 1391, incorporating a jacquemart offered by the Duke.

The upper half of the belfry was rebuilt between 1529 and 1593 in a Renaissance style, with an octagonal dome. Damaged by a storm in 1646, the storm was rebuilt by reusing the original columns. In the 18th century, works changed the dome again, while the Revolution erased royal symbols. The tower also served as a measuring standard for the merchants of the Taules Square.

Ranked a historic monument in 1862, the belfry now houses a museum space on the history of Riom and the siege of the Country of Art and History. The platform under the dome offers panoramic views of the city and its surroundings. The ground floor presents exhibitions on local heritage, accessible to visually impaired people.

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