Foucault Pendulums

Connected Sites: 8

Definition

World Heritage Sites that house permanent, "in situ" Foucault Pendulums. Named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, these devices provide a simple and dramatic demonstration of the Earth's rotation. Because the experiment requires a significant height to allow for a long, heavy wire that can swing for extended periods, these pendulums are typically integrated into the grand domes, belfries, or monumental stairwells of established historic buildings. To qualify, the pendulum must be a fixed, operational feature of the site’s scientific or educational presentation rather than a temporary exhibit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault_pendulum

Contributor

Proposed by Solivagant

Map

Connected Sites

  • Vilnius
    Vilnius
    Lithuania
    Inscribed: 1994
    3.45
    325
    10

    The Vilnius University complex features a permanent Foucault pendulum in the belfry of St. John's Church continuing the university’s centuries-old tradition of astronomical and physical research. Installed in a custom-designed shaft within the tower, the pendulum includes a light-sensitive sensor that tracks the movement of the bob over a circular scale. (picture link)
  • University of Coimbra
    Inscribed: 2013
    3.21
    252
    9

    The Department of Physics unveiled a new Foucault Pendulum in Oct 2015 in order to commemorate its 725th anniversary with a permanent, "monumental" scientific landmark. "As one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, the pendulum—a symbol of the "persistence of truth" and the movement of time—was chosen as a physical representation of the university's enduring legacy." (link)
  • Mantua and Sabbioneta
    Inscribed: 2008
    3.15
    201
    7

    At the Clock Tower's Museum of Time in Mantua (link)
  • Paris, Banks of the Seine
    Inscribed: 1991
    4.20
    695
    20

    The Panthéon serves as the most famous site for this experiment, as it was the location of Léon Foucault’s original public demonstration in 1851. The building’s vast dome provided the necessary 67-meter clearance for the pendulum’s swing. Today, a permanent working replica is installed in the same location, serving as a monument to 19th-century scientific achievement within the core zone of the Paris WHS. (link)
  • Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles
    Inscribed: 2021
    3.93
    264
    12

    The pendulum was placed in the Palazzo della Ragione ("Palace of Reason") on April 19, 2006, by the University of Padua and the local municipality to serve as a permanent scientific bridge within the medieval building. Suspended from a 20-meter steel wire attached to the historic wooden roof beams, the 13 kg sphere oscillates in the southeast corner of the great hall, specifically positioned beneath the fresco of Aries. This placement is deeply intentional, as it marks the starting point of the building's massive 14th-century zodiacal cycle, which depicts human character and labor as determined by the movement of the stars.

    The pendulum was introduced during the International Year of Physics to manifest the city’s identity as a center of scientific inquiry and to honor its historical connection to figures like Pietro d'Abano. (link)
  • Mexico City and Xochimilco
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.84
    280
    8

    There is a Pendulum in the Metropolitan Cathedral. It utilizes the Foucault principle but serves a dual purpose: demonstrating the Earth's rotation while primarily measuring the 'differential sinking' of the Cathedral sitting on Mexico City's soft and subsiding soils! (image link)
  • Kraków
    Kraków
    Poland
    Inscribed: 1978
    4.02
    451
    19

    The Church of Saints Peter and Paul, located in the heart of the inscribed Old Town, houses Poland's longest Foucault pendulum. Measuring 46.5 meters, the device is suspended from the church's dome and is used for weekly public demonstrations that illustrate the Earth's rotation. Its presence within this Jesuit architectural masterpiece highlights the historical connection between religious institutions and scientific inquiry in Kraków. (link)
  • Gardens and Castle at Kromeríz
    Inscribed: 1998
    2.76
    165
    10

    The Rotunda within the Flower Garden (Květná zahrada) houses a permanent Foucault pendulum installed in 1906. Suspended from the center of the dome, the pendulum is part of the original scientific-artistic ensemble of the pavilion. The mechanism is a fixed feature of this inscribed site, representing the intersection of Baroque landscape design and Enlightenment-era scientific curiosity. (link)