Period of activity of Zarbula 1833-1881 (≈ 1857)
Creation of a hundred sundials.
21 mars 1995
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 21 mars 1995 (≈ 1995)
Protection of the sundial of the house.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Solar dial located on the main façade of the house (Box C 194): inscription by decree of 21 March 1995
Key figures
Giovanni Francesco Zarbula - Piedmontese dial painter
Author of the Pinet sundial.
Origin and history
The house at Pinet, in Puy-Saint-Pierre (Hautes-Alpes), houses a sundial made by Giovanni Francesco Zarbula, a 19th century Piedmontese dial painter. This monument is part of a series of about one hundred dials created between 1833 and 1881 in the French and Italian Alps, notably in Briançonnais, Queyras and the Ubaye Valley. Zarbula, a specialist in declining vertical dials, used a technique adapted to the latitude of 45°, ensuring precision within five minutes.
The sundial of this house is representative of the style of Zarbula: decorative frescoes with geometric trompe-l'oeil patterns, symbols (suns, moons) and sometimes currency. His works, often installed on rural buildings, were signed by his initials. This specific dial, located on the main façade, was inscribed in historical monuments by decree of 21 March 1995, emphasizing its heritage importance.
The geographical distribution of the Zarbula dials covers a mountainous and isolated territory, bounded by Valloire, Fenestrelle, Argentera and Seyne. In the Hautes-Alpes, seven of its dials are now protected, including that of Pinet. Although only about 50 of his works remain, they bear witness to his unique know-how and 19th century local craftsmanship.
