Serres

This is a very interesting sundial. This is the first (and yet only) sundial that I have encountered. The sundial is probably built right away with the construction of the school on which it can be found. The dial has been built by Chavin in 1882. The indicator on the gnomon consists of a circle in the form of a sun with rays and has a small hole in the middle. As you can see on the image it gives a nice shadow. The hole is sufficiently clear to leave an impression. I happed just to be in time to see a shadow near the noon mark.

The sundial shows only the 12 o’clock line at Local Apparent Time. With the Analemma (the figure ‘8’), it is possible to determine Local Mean Time. On the Analemma a mark is drawn for each first day of the month. This allows to determine the rough date of the year.

This sundial can be found in Serres, Hautes-Alpes, France. The sundial is on the elementary school of the village, which can be found in the old part of the town on the north-western shore of the Buëch. Follow the signs to the school to find it.

I took this picture on a sundial discovery tour I made on 14 july 2004.

Categories: france • hautes-alpes • noon mark •
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Ribeyret

I like the design of this sundial. It has images of lavender and corn, both are grown extensively around the village of Ribeyret. I am not sure what the significance is of the bird. I assume that it can be found in the wild here.

The motto of this dial is Pren lo daise e fai te vieilh. I assume this is in the provençal language and roughly means Take the day and make yourself old.

The information on the dial is simple. It has hourlines from 7 o’clock to 4 o’clock. It could have more lines as the dial seems to be well oriented to the south. For the half hours dots have been indicated in a band, where the numbers of the hour lines are as well.

The gnomon has a thick point roughly halfway. The shadow of this thick point felt on the moment of viewing on the edge of the band. I wondered whether this band followed the line of maximum declination of the sun at 21 June, but I think it should have a different shape.

The sundial has a mark of the designer and says en Peyrol

This sundial can be found in the village of Ribeyret on the church in the center of the village. Ribeyret lies in the western part of the department Hautes-Alpes in France.

I visited this sundial on 14 july 2004 during a small dial discovery trip.

Categories: france • hautes-alpes • vertical •
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Correo - Les Evêques

The dial is rectangular with a rounded top side. The dial is painted white on a brown backdrop. The dial has a motto (in provençal?), which I can not quite decipher (far louncamh? louro passo).

This is a vertical sundial, which seems to be inclined to the west. The dial shows the hour lines and half hour lines. First timeline is at 7:30 and the last timeline is at 6:30. The dial shows the True Local Time.

This sundial can be found on a house next to a Chambre d’Hôte, which was created in 2004. This chambre d’hôte can be found in Haute Correo, which is a part of Roche des Arnauds in the Hautes-Alpes, France. I do not remember what the name is of this Chambre d’Hôte, but it is in a place called Les Evêques.

I accidentily found this sundial while visiting several places on the Soyez Touriste dans votre village day.

Categories: france • hautes-alpes • vertical •
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