Place de l'Hôtel de ville

The Place de l'Hôtel de Ville centers on a clock tower topped by a wrought iron cage that holds a bell from fifteen eleven. This stone tower was once a gateway in the medieval ramparts, but by the mid seventeenth century, the city incorporated it into the town hall facade. Jean-Pierre Chastel, the town clockmaker, once spent months climbing the wooden stairs to oil the gears and ensure the bell rang for every council session, trade fair, and public execution held in the square.