Tag Archives: oldest sun dial

Sun Dial

Sun Dial/ Reloj de Sol

The historical sun dial, Reloj de Sol, is another of our UNESCO World Heritage sites. It was erected during the reign of Carlos III in 1753 and is one of the oldest sun dials in all the Americas.

The Reloj de Sol in the morning light

The sun dial was used as the official time-teller in Santo Domingo. The face of the dial could be seen from the government offices in the Casas Reales. This way the government officials were able to record the correct time on official documents.

The faces of the Reloj de Sol

The dial sits in the center of the Plaza Reloj de Sol. It sits atop a large stone pillar. There are two vertical dials or faces and a equatorial dial on top. The Southeast face is for the morning time to be seen and the Southwest side is for the afternoon hours. The large metal plate with its raised parts show the hours by the shaded markings.

On the very top of the pillar is the newer equatorial dial that was placed there in 1992. The original dial was lost during a hurricane.

Plaza Reloj de Sol, the sun dial and Casa Reales.

Location

: Calle Las Damas in the small Plaza Reloj de Sol in front of the Casa Reales.