Oltramontano clock

The top of the front facade of St. Peter's Basilica from Vatican City has two wonderful clocks and several tall sculptures (5.7m). The clock... more

by GabeZ Art

Title

Oltramontano clock

Artist

GabeZ Art

Medium

Photograph - Photography - Digital

Description

The top of the front facade of St. Peter's Basilica from Vatican City has two wonderful clocks and several tall sculptures (5.7m). The clock adorning the right side of the facade is called Oltramontano Clock.

This clock showing "European mean time" is about half an hour behind the right time. The wrong time on the clock may also be an attempt to keep the Devil guessing about "the day and the hour".

The giant clock has a mosaic face and is adorned with the heraldic symbols of Pope Pius VI- three stars and plants of lilies.
The sculptures on both sides of the clock are the apostles St. Simeon and St. Matthias.

Giuseppe Valadier designed the both clocks from 1786-1790. Valadier was an Italian architect and designer, urban planner and archeologist, a chief exponent of Neoclassicism in Italy.

Uploaded

November 15th, 2016