The history of time

The rain started during the night, and was quite heavy when we awoke.  Due to excellent foresight, we had scheduled a rest day so took our time over breakfast with a couple of leisurely coffees before heading out late morning.

St Peter’s church looked rather drab in the rain and we continued on through Revolution Square to the covered markets where we picked up some pastries for lunch and salmon for dinner. 

After dropping off the shopping we braved the drizzle to walk to the Porte Rivotte. The gate was built in the Middle Ages and guarded the passage between the river and the citadel which protected the town. 

We descended the dark stairwell into Cathedral Saint-Jean, and were delighted to come face-to-face with St Joan of Arc, who we hadn’t encountered for a while.  We spent some time searching for the Astronomical Clock, supposedly situated inside the cathedral, only to discover we had walked passed the door concealing its presence before descending the stairs.  Fortunately, the door was open on our return, and we were able to catch a glimpse of the famous clock before being told by the assistant that it wasn’t working and if we wanted more information or a proper viewing, we should pay the 5 Euro fee. 

When functioning, the clock not only gives the time but also the position of the sun, moon, planets, duration of day and night, tide calendar and map of the stars.  However, given it was inoperable, we settled for a brief glimpse before the door was closed again.

Whilst reminiscent of the Arc de Triomph, The Porte Noire was unimpressive as we walked through it until we discovered the intricate decorations on its other side. The nearby Square Castan had some ruins of columns from Roman times as well as the remains of an ancient water distribution site.  

As the museums closed for lunch, we had time to enjoy our pastries heated in the oven.  The rain had stopped when we emerged to visit the Museum of Time, a former palace, that focuses on the technical history of time. One gallery showed the technical and aesthetic development of time measurement instruments whilst others covered three centuries of horological evolution and Besancon’s contribution to watch making.  

Fortunately we were able to get access to an English audio app, though it took a great deal of effort and the assistance of one of the staff to make it work for us.  Apparently they had made some changes recently – clearly not for the better.  

Everybody knows that there are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in minute. But in 1793, the French smashed the old clock system in favor of French Revolutionary Time, which was a 10-hour day, with 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. The system proved unpopular. People were unfamiliar with switching systems of time and the French officially stopped using decimal time after just 17 months.

At our next stop, Victor Hugo’s house, we were given a phone to assist us.  They had suffered the same upgrade and didn’t even suggest we try to connect to the audio.  Victor Hugo was born in the house in February 1802 and the four rooms focused on his passions and greatest works.  We particularly enjoyed the information on Les Miserables.

Our final stop was the Citadel, built in the 17th century and designed by Vauban, an architect and engineer, who is celebrated in a statue just inside the entrance.  We explored the free park routes and views and spied goats and monkeys but as it was getting late, decided not to pay the entry fee to see the museums and the rest of the structure.

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