Brother Arsen Sundial

This strange sundial, originally known as the Gnomon du Frère Arsène, is a 7-pointed star that can measure time. It’s a bit technical, so I suggest you read the plaque for more details. Called l’Unique, it was invented by a Capuchin monk from Annecy in 1874 and inaugurated a few years later. The orientation and inclination of the star follow the local latitude, 25 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The shadows cast by the ends of the branches give the time on the sides. Come closer and see if your clock is in tune. There’s even a dial for daylight savings time and another for winter time. In any case, it’s fair to say that Brother Arsène was rather talented. There’s even a calculation to see how many minutes you need to add to get the exact time in Vienna, Rome or Paris! Because in life you have to be precise!