Reloj de Sol (Colonial Sundial)

The Reloj de Sol — the colonial sundial — stands near the Casas Reales on Calle de las Damas and served as the first official clock in North America in the 16th century. The Spanish colonial administration set its schedules by this dial, which regulated the times of the courts, the cathedral masses, and the movements of the colonial government.

The sundial is small and easy to miss — it is set into a stone base near the museum entrance — but it is worth finding as a reminder of how recently these streets served as the administrative centre of a continental empire. On sunny days it still works: your shadow on the dial will tell the hour.

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A story
The sundial was installed in the early 16th century as the official timekeeper of the Spanish colonial government — the first official clock in North America, used to regulate the schedules of colonial administration, the courts, and the cathedral. It was built at a time when the entire New World was governed from the streets within walking distance of this spot.