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Origin and history

The house in the hamlet of Pra-Prime, in Val-des-Prés (Hautes-Alpes), is remarkable for its sundial, made by Piedmontese dial painter Giovanni Francesco Zarbula. The latter, active between 1833 and 1881, executed about 100 dials in the French and Italian Alps, some 50 of which remain today. His works, often installed on rural buildings, are distinguished by their precision and fresco decoration, including geometric and symbolic motifs.

Pra-Premier's sundial is part of a series of creations located in a quadrilateral from Valloire to Argentera, covering the Briançonnais, Queyras and the Ubaye valley. Zarbula used a technique adapted to a latitude of 45°, ensuring precision within five minutes. His dials, signed with his initials, were often accompanied by currencies. In France, seven of his works in the Hautes-Alpes, including Val-des-Prés, have been protected as historical monuments since 1995.

This declining vertical dial, typical of its style, reflects the artistic and scientific heritage of Zarbula, as well as its influence in the Alpine regions. The house, a modest rural building, illustrates the integration of these astronomical instruments into the daily lives of local communities. Today, Pra-Premier's dial remains a testimony of this heritage, although its exact state of conservation is not detailed in available sources.

The protection of the dial in 1995 underlines its historical and cultural importance. Located on the south façade of the house (park E 416), it is one of the few still visible examples of the works of Zarbula. Approximate location, noted as "passible" (level 5/10), indicates relative accessibility, without specifying the conditions of visit or current use of the building.

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