Inside the majestic cathedral of Florence, one of the hidden jewels that await visitors is an enigma painted on a fascinating and unique clock. This work, created by the brilliant artist Paolo Uccello, challenges temporal conventions and logic, offering a fascinating window in the mind of a Renaissance painter and in the mysteries of the past.
Contacting the altar of the Duomo may seem like an act of devotion or contemplation, but in this case, it is the act that reveals one of the best guarded secrets of the interior of the Church. The clock painted by Paolo Uccello lies on one of the walls, almost as an invitation to scrutinize the past and the present through the eyes of the Renaissance.
The most intriguing aspect of this watch is the arrangement of Roman numerals from one to twenty -four, which flow counterclockwise. This halo of mystery is further enriched by the particular choice to end the path of numbers at sunset instead of midnight. This unusual touch challenged the conventional idea of time and clock, leaving room for a multitude of interpretations and conjectures.
One of the explanations could reside in the use of the “Italic Hora”, a time measurement system that was in vogue in the fifteenth century in Italy. However, the main question remains: why are the numbers arranged on the contrary? A hypothesis is that this specular disposition may have had a symbolic or aesthetic meaning for Paolo Bird, but so far this choice has remained wrapped in mystery.
Paolo Uccello’s watch is not only an artistic expression, but a window on the mind of a genius and the complexity of Renaissance thought. The Renaissance were known for their curiosity and for the challenge of traditional paradigms, trying to explore and understand the world with an open and critical mind.
This enigmatic clock has become, over the centuries, a symbol of Florence, of its artistic legacy and its innovative spirit. While visitors are facing this masterpiece, they cannot help but feel involved on a journey through the time and mind of an artist, reflecting on the meaning behind the apparent mystery.
If you like this story you can come to visit Florence with us, we are running a Florence Free Tour, that start from Santa Maria Novella square. Our meeting point is in front of Minerva Hotel. Our expert tour guide will give an excellent tour where you have the possibility to discover many secrets about the cradle of Renaissance time.
