This is something wonderful of another dear town of mine. I have been coming here for so many years lost count, this is Amboise, and Da Vinci was here ! There is a whole lot more to see here and even more than what I have written before, I was again last week and again wonderful road warrior trip with my boys and Rex, our dog ! For the memories of always with my dear late wife Martine, Therefore, let me tell you about the Château du Clos Lucé of Amboise, garden and park !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
You come over the museum house of Leonardo da Vinci at Clos Lucé, its just a walk away about 500 meters away from the castle. The Chateau du Clos Lucé-Parc Leonardo da Vinci is where he lived his last 3 years of his life and worked on his passions furiously, you can see his bedroom, kitchen, work cabinet, and beautiful rooms in brick and stone as well as a chapel. You will discover in its park about 40 wonderful machine inventions that he created such as the first airplane, submarine, auto, helicopter, tank, parachutes, etc. All vividly display in the house and throughout the park.
The Château du Clos Lucé is located in the heart of a 7-hectare park crossed by the Amasse river, a small tributary of the Loire. The façade, made of pink brick and white stone, has remained virtually unchanged since the Renaissance. Some of the château’s rooms were decorated in the 20-21C to evoke 16C rooms as Leonardo’s might have appeared. Forty models created by IBM based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings are presented in four rooms in the basement. 3D animations are also presented in the model rooms. They allow visitors to understand how Leonardo’s inventions worked and to see them come to life.
He dissected, drew, and studied the flight techniques of birds large and small. In his codices, the dream took shape through numerous drawings, sketches, and studies of flying machines: aerial screw, ornithopter, flying wing, parachute, glider… Admire the life-size models coming to life in the Clos Lucé park. The visionary genius imagined an astonishing mechanically powered assault tank and a revolutionary swing bridge. These bold creations bear witness to his innovative spirit, always seeking practical solutions to improve daily life.
In the Clos Lucé park and garden, a trail is structured around five themes: the light of faces, technical intuitions, the beauty of bodies, the mechanics of life, and the ideal city, with Leonardo da Vinci as a backdrop. There are also life-size reproductions of machines invented by da Vinci, such as the helicopter, the swing bridge, the tank, the double-span bridge, and the paddle wheel. The park also features a dovecote built in the 15C. The park extends over seven hectares of wooded, flower-filled parkland, with the Amasse river running through it. Dozens of life-size models illustrate Leonardo da Vinci’s work in military, hydrological, aeronautical and botanical fields.
The Jardin de Léonard or Leonardo’s Garden was designed in the same way: all the answers to questions about the Master are there, accessible to children and adults alike. The trees, plants, and water movements found in codices and his paintings come to life in this garden dedicated to Nature. Stroll through Leonardo’s Garden, a veritable open-air laboratory where nature reveals its secrets. The paths lined with Italian cypress trees and Mona Lisa roses transport you to the master’s botanical universe. The rustling of leaves accompanies your discovery of the plants that fueled his imagination. At the bend in the path, a majestic 20-meter double-span bridge made of solid oak stands, a testament to the genius’s research into proportion and harmony. The walk continues to the country garden, where 26 species of plants and flowers recall those depicted in his most famous paintings. Rocks, caves, springs, belvederes, waterfalls, and mist effects evoke the sfumato technique. Here, the smallest details of his works are recreated. Around a pond bordered by century-old pines, Italian cypresses, and yews, you can admire the Madonna lily, the yellow flag flag, the horned violet, the black alders, the spreading cyclamen, and, of course, the famous Mona Lisa rose.
During this cultural walk, you will discover Leonardo the engineer, Leonardo the visionary, and Leonardo the painter and architect. In the park, climb aboard the tank, operate the aerial screw, handle the machine gun, take a paddle steamer ride, cross the swing bridge or the famous twenty-meter-high double-span bridge, built using the techniques of the time. All these models are life-size to offer hands-on experiences for young and old and test Leonardo’s intuitions. Observe the forty translucent canvases, three to four meters high, suspended from the trees. Discover the light on faces, the beauty of bodies, the mechanics of life, the technical projects, and even the ideal city. The Leonardo da Vinci Park is a unique journey through the works of this genius.
The official Château du Clos Luce : https://www.vinci-closluce.com/en
The City of Amboise on its heritage : https://www.ville-amboise.fr/88/monuments-a-visiter.htm
The Amboise tourist office on the Château du Clos Luce: https://amboise-valdeloire.com/en/leonardo-da-vinci-at-the-chateau-du-clos-luce/
The localTouraine Val de Loire tourist office on the Château du Clos Luce :https://www.tourainevaldeloire.com/en/offers/chateau-du-clos-luce-parc-leonardo-da-vinci-amboise-en-5153575/
The Centre Val de Loire region tourist office on the Château du Clos Luce : https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/discover/loire-chateaux/chateau-clos-luce-parc-leonardo-vinci/
There you go folks, a masterwork place to make it a must to visit in Amboise, the Château du Clos Lucé is wonderful, and the park displays are as unique as what is inside. Again,hope you enjoy this post on the Château du Clos Luce of Amboise, garden and park !!! as I,
And remember, happy travel, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 