Bell font 1476 (≈ 1476)
Bell installed in the campanile in 1648.
1621
Initial project
Initial project 1621 (≈ 1621)
Project launched by the city consuls.
1647
Construction of the tower
Construction of the tower 1647 (≈ 1647)
Building of the main body in masonry.
1648
Campanile completion
Campanile completion 1648 (≈ 1648)
Add dome and wrought iron campanile.
2019
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 2019 (≈ 2019)
Registration by order of 7 August.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Tour de l'Horloge, in its entirety, sits on Martin Bidauré Square, as defined by a red line on the plan annexed to the decree (Box AN 436): inscription by order of 7 August 2019
Key figures
Consuls de Saint-Maximin - Project sponsors
Originally the tower in 1621.
Origin and history
The Tour de l'Horloge de Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, planned by the city's consuls in 1621, was built in 1647 and completed in 1648 by the addition of a wrought iron campanile. Of a square and high plan of about 20 meters, it is built in masonry of coated rubbish, with decorative elements of stone of the 17th century typical size: moulded bandages, harnessed chains and damping balls. Its interior staircase, made of wood and plaster, leads to the clock chamber, while milling ladders allow access to the upper floors and roof.
The "cosmological" campanile symbolizes the planets around the sun and houses a bell of 1476, originally installed at the local basilica. This bell, one of the oldest in the Var, adds a historical and heritage dimension to the tower. Classified as a Historical Monument in 2019, the tower is located in Martin Bidouré Square and belongs to the municipality. Its architecture reflects both a practical function (public clock) and an aesthetic ambition specific to the time.
The location of the tower, in the heart of Saint-Maximin, makes it a major urban landmark. Its dome and campanile, visible from a distance, mark the landscape and testify to the importance of public buildings in the organisation of Provencal cities in the seventeenth century. The accuracy of its location is considered satisfactory, with an address confirmed by Merimée bases and approximate GPS coordinates.
