Charvet Clock

Right in front of you, elegantly set in the heart of the Vieux-Lyon, stands the Charvet clock. Come take a closer look to this very special clock! It’s made up of 5 bells – no surprise there – but look even closer at the 4 automatons that surround them. They represent the famous characters Harlequin, Polichinelle, Guignol and Gnafron granting it the nickname “Guignols’ clock”. It alludes to Laurent Mourguet, the French puppeteer who created these four personas for his shows. Standing 7 metres high, every 15 minutes it offers you a brief show, as the characters come to life for a few seconds, except during the night. Placed here only in January 2021, it is in fact much older than that. In the past, it was located in Lyon’s 2nd district, on the Presqu’île, and had been there since 1884! Recently taken down and restored to its former glory, it seemed ideal to put here, right in front of the Gadagne museums, as they are dedicated to the puppetry arts and the history of Lyon. The clock was built by the Maison Charvet, founded in 1852. It is a renowned establishment of Lyon, having designed many public clocks for the city. It is worth noting that between the 16th and 17th centuries, Lyon, held a significant position in the field of clockmaking before most major clockmakers departed to Switzerland. 18 months of work were necessary to create this magnificent clock. It has been telling the time to local residents in an amusing and symbolic way for almost 150 years. I’ll leave you to enjoy the show, and if you have the time, do take a tour of the Gadagne museums, which house over 2,000 puppets from all over the world, as well as over 80,000 objects tracing the history of the city!