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The Cathedral of Saint Stephen of Bourges: This is the oldest astronomical clock in France. It was designed in 1424 by Jean Fusoris, a canon and mathematician, and was built by André Cassart and decorated by Jean d'Orléans, a painter. It was a gift for King Charles VII on the occasion of the baptism of his son, the future King Luis XI. At the time, it was considered the most precise clock in the world. In fact, it remains quite precise: it accumulates no more than one second of error every 150 years. The upper watch face, which dates from the 19th century, indicates the hours of the day, while the lower astronomical dial indicates the signs of the zodiac and the positions of the Sun and Moon.
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© Tony Bowden | CC BY-SA 2.0