The Big Bell of Bordeaux

This is one of the famous landmark in bordeaux which has been built since medieval times. The big bell clock leads to a nice street saint catherine, full with shops.

The Big Bell of Bordeaux PURCHASE ONLINE TOURS, EXCURSIONS, CITYPASS,... Introduction Practical information Location GROSSE CLOCHE REGISTERED MONUMENTS AND SITES The Grosse Cloche is one of the oldest belfries in France, in the heart of the city The Latin inscription on the inside of the Grosse Cloche (literally "Big Bell") reads "I ring the hours and my voice is a call to arms, (…) I sing for happy events and weep for the dead". The bell was cast in 1775 and weighs no less than 7,750 kilos! Christened "Armande-Louise", it rings 6 times a year for major celebrations such as Bastille Day, VE Day, and Remembrance Day and also the first Sunday of each month at noon. The gateway where the bell is hung also had a defensive function and served as a prison. Young people who misbehaved were confined there, shut in by a door 10 cm thick with enormous bolts. It was joked at the time that they stayed in the "Hotel du Lion d’Or" – an allusion to the weather vane on the central dome with a representation of a lion, symbolising the kings of England. This gateway is open for visits. A guide will show you the strange dungeons still haunted by the memory of people who did not respect curfew or public order.

This is one of the main tourist attractions in Bordeaux, and it's certainly an historic site. However it's a shame that the bell doesn't ring due to structural / restoration problems - it used to three times daily giving structure to the working life of citizens. Surely a sound recording could be used? Also the clock below the bell tower, which has an interesting compensatory movement, isn't working properly. The City administration should repair this.

What an amazing place! I loved walking through it.

This history landmark is a site to explore and experience and visit in Bordeaux. It's right on a gateway with a bell hung majestically above a functioning clock. Even if you are not paying to visit (€5 to enter with only French language guide), its still an impressive monument! There's a Latin inscriptions (I got it translated as "I ring the hours and my voice is a call to arms. I sing for happy events and weep for the dead"). It's actually christened as Armande-Louise and rings six times a year for National Holidays including the first Sunday of the month. Bastille Day, VE Day, Remembrance Day, Liberation of Bordeaux day, Victory of May Day, and New Year's Day. It's a beautiful national monument and one of the rarest civil monuments preserved from the Middle Ages. A must visit monument suitable for all ages.