In the enchanting garden of the Palais Royal in Paris, there’s a small bronze cannon positioned on a stone pedestal. It was designed by engineer and watchmaker Rousseau. His shop was located in the Galerie de Beaujolais, one of the covered passages within the grounds of the Domaine du Palais Royal. It was installed on the Meridian Line of Paris in 1786. The cannon was equipped with a magnifying glass to catch the sun rays and set ablaze a wick in order to fire every day at noon. Thanks to its…
