Horologium mirabile Lundense

The astronomical clock in the Lund Cathedral known as Horologium mirabile Lundense is a magnificent artistic structure, but also contains surprisingly precise and modern pieces of engineering that were hidden in storage for almost a hundred years.  

The Lund Cathedral itself was built in the mid 12th century, but the elegant astronomical clock was not first installed until 1387. The elaborate piece of machinery stood proudly in the cathedral for hundreds of years before it was dismantled in 1837 and placed into storage. The historic time piece, which in addition to simply telling the time of day could predict a number of religious holidays and the days they would fall on in the future, was finally put back together and restored to its rightful place in the cathedral in 1923.

Today the clock once again clicks along, displaying all of the original features such as a pair of knights that mark the hours, between which is the figure of Saint Lawrence, the cathedral’s patron saint. When the clock was reassembled, the astronomical marking backing card was updated to be accurate from 1923 to 2123 at which point a new reference will have to be installed, although at that point it will likely be a hologram.