Prague Astronomical Clock

The Prague Astronomical Clock is one of the oldest European clocks of its kind (the first ever originated in Padua in 1344 and a second in Strassburg in 1354) and continues to hold its exceptional position. >It is unique in being the oldest of those where the original clockwork has been in operation from the beginning to the present time for six centuries, and even the astronomical dial shaped like an astrolabe survives in the original form. Interestingly, the Clock initially showed exclusively astronomical data: as was stressed by Jan Táboský (who was its curator in the years 1551-1572) there were no irrelevant little mechanical figures to entertain the common people but only "the pure art of astronomy".