Where Science & Religion Meet
Locations from Storm Keep
This is not a theological discussion, but there is some irony in the astronomic clock being in the Strasbourg Cathedral. Properly known as: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, the cathedral and the clock, the plaza, and the palace across the street are all locations featured in Storm Keep.
The cathedral is the dominating feature in the old town area of Strasbourg. It is the tallest structure in the region, and at 466’ held the title of the worlds tallest building from1647 to 1874. Construction of the sandstone cathedral started in 1015 and ended in 1439. The architecture is predominantly Romanesque, with some Gothic intrusions as the style gained popularity during the four centuries it took to complete the cathedral.
Inside the cathedral is the final of three iterations of a mechanical astronomical clock. The still-functioning—and accurate—mechanism is a mix of art, clockmaking, mathematics, and mechanics. The gold hands of the clock show mean solar time; the silver hands show Central European Time.
The clock features a planetary calendar, which shows the current positions of the sun and moon, and a mechanical rooster. Every day at 12:30 the rooster crows and apostles move around the clock. We waited in a rather long line to see the show. Crammed into the alcove we saw a movie detailing the clock’s history, and saw the “show.”
Parts of the early versions from the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries can be found across the plaza in the museum in the Rohan Palace.
Looking forward to another adventure in your book!
I visited Strassbourg first time after the war, in 195,the city was damaged by the German bombs, my grandfather's house stayed intact. Thank you for your beautiful writing!