The Quai de l'Horloge takes its name from the clock in the tower on the northeastern corner of the palace. The tower was built between 1350 and 1353 as a watchtower. When it was constructed, it was directly on the Seine. The stone walls of the Quai de l'Horloge, built beginning in 1611, created space for a road. The first clock was ordered by Charles V, and faced the interior of the palace. In 1418 it was given an outside face, toward the city, and became the first municipal clock of Paris. In the 16th century, Henry III had the clock redecorated with sculpture by the French Renaissance sculptor Germain Pilon. The tower was originally topped by a silver bell, rung only to announce he death of the king or the birth of his heir. It was also rung on 24 August, 1572, at the beginning of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, to signal the beginning of the attack on the Protestants of Paris. The original bell was melted down during the French Revolution, but was replaced in 1848. The gilding of the clock was restored in 2012.
