Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The exterior of STRAAT.
STRAAT
The front of the St. Charles’ Church
St. Charles’ Church
The miniature theatre’s 200-seat capacity is slowly being filled with tiny figurines of beloved film characters, from classic movie stars to Muppets. Statler and Waldorf are perched in their usual spot at the front-right balcony. There’s even an ongoing call for visitors and locals to add their own favorite characters to the growing crowd.
East Van Vodville Cinema
Gombe mountains seen from Lake Tanganyika.
Gombe National Park
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
about 8 hours ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
about 8 hours ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
1 day ago
You don’t need to go to Turkey to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Find the Most Unusual Festivals in the U.S.?
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Padua Padua Astronomical Clock

Padua Astronomical Clock

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.

Padua, Italy

Added By
StepYoshi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Padua astronomical clock.   Zairon/cc by-sa 4.0
The Padua astronomical clock.   Zairon/cc by-sa 4.0
The clock tower in Piazza dei Signori.   Didier Descouens/cc by-sa 4.0
The Padua astronomical clock.   Sokoljan/public domain
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
The backside of the clock   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Sitting on the clock tower in Piazza dei Signori, the astronomical clock of Padua was built in 1344 and is one of the oldest clocks in the world still in working order. The designer, Jacopo de'Dondi, became so famous for this work that his family name was later changed to "Dondi dell'Orologio," or "Dondi of the Clock."

The magnificent timepiece has a 24-hour dial, so the hour hand makes a full rotation only once a day, not twice, moving at half the usual speed and starting at the right ("zero hour") rather than at the top. The clock also strikes the hours on a bell from 1 to 24. The dial shows the day of the month, the current phase of the Moon, the motion of the planets, and the position of the Sun in the Zodiac. 

After the original clock was destroyed at the end of the 14th century, a replacement was built in 1423 as a faithful copy of the original, with one exception: It was missing one of Zodiac signs, Libra. There are various stories about the origin of this curious lack, the most famous saying that the builder deliberately omitted the symbol, which is an emblem of justice, because he was not paid the amount of money he was promised. Another version of the story says that the symbol was also missing from the original clock as a protest by the designer against the rule of the Carraresi family.

In reality, this missing symbol comes from the use of the pre-Roman Zodiacal system, which united the constellations of Scorpio and Libra. The two halves of Libra were seen as the Scorpio's claws and later became the scales, but even today the name of the two most luminous stars in Libra are the Arabic names for "northern claw" and "southern claw." Anyway, some people say that the Libra sign is actually hidden somewhere in Piazza dei Signori—try looking for it!

Related Tags

Clocks Astronomical Clocks Astrology

Know Before You Go

The clock is embedded in La Torre dell'Orologio (Clock Tower) in the Piazza Dei Signori in Padua (Padova), Italy. You can tour the inside the clock tower on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Reservations for large groups can be made online.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

StepYoshi

Edited By

bradhooker, Julius Spada

  • bradhooker
  • Julius Spada

Published

December 12, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_dell%27Orologio_(Padova)
  • https://www.horologica.co.uk/horology/Padua.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libra_(constellation)
Padua Astronomical Clock
28 Piazza dei Signori
Padua
Italy
45.407856, 11.872878
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Capital Without Column

Padua, Italy

miles away

Pietra del Vituperio (Stone of Shame)

Padua, Italy

miles away

Palazzo del Bo Anatomical Theater

Padua, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Padua

Padua

Italy

Places 13

Nearby Places

Capital Without Column

Padua, Italy

miles away

Pietra del Vituperio (Stone of Shame)

Padua, Italy

miles away

Palazzo del Bo Anatomical Theater

Padua, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Padua

Padua

Italy

Places 13

Related Stories and Lists

13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And Space

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • This unusual clock is a copy of one in Prague.

    Šumperk, Czechia

    Šumperk Astronomical Clock

    This copy of the famous Prague Astronomical Clock is the result of one man's passion project.

  • The Astronomical Clock.

    York, England

    York Minster Astronomical Clock

    This memorial to World War II's fallen airmen shows us the movements of the stars that once guided them.

  • The astronomical clock.

    Stará Bystrica, Slovakia

    Stará Bystrica Astronomical Clock

    The world's newest astronomical clock is also its most accurate.

  • The bottom calendar wheel of the astronomical clock.

    Lübeck, Germany

    Astronomical Clock at St. Mary's Church

    A stunning two-story timepiece within a medieval Brick Gothic church.

  • The front of the World Clock

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jens Olsen's World Clock

    The gilded, masterful astronomical clock will calculate time, dates, and planetary positions for thousands of years to come.

  • Horologium mirabile Lundense

    Lund, Sweden

    Horologium mirabile Lundense

    This Swedish astronomical clock was in storage for almost a century before its glorious workings were put on display once more.

  • Strasbourg Astronomical Clock

    Strasbourg, France

    Strasbourg Astronomical Clock

    There has been an astronomical clock on this spot since the 14th century.

  • The Gdansk Astronomical Clock

    Gdańsk, Poland

    Gdansk Astronomical Clock

    A huge wooden clock that is so beautiful its creator was forcibly blinded.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.