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, part II !!! 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.
In 2021, two new galleries dedicated to the master’s works in the fields of architecture and painting are open to the public in a renovated 500m2 former industrial building, including a new experimental multimedia space allowing visitors to fly over the Royal Palace of Romorantin in Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines, reconstructed in 3D. These are the galeries Leonardo de Vinci, The “Leonardo, painter and architect” galleries present the master’s major works in an interactive, digital format. A breathtaking sound and light presentation emphasizes the details of these most famous works, such as the Mona Lisa’s gaze, the finger of Saint John the Baptist…
The Crêperie, La Terrasse Renaissance; planted with tall pines, Italian cypresses, and Mona Lisa roses bordered by boxwood, La Terrasse Renaissance welcomes you for lunch or a gourmet break, with a breathtaking view of the castle. Open: February 8 to November 11, 2025, Also, the La Table du Moulin and takeaway In the tranquility of Leonardo da Vinci Park, opposite the Moulin and its Leonardo-style gears, lunch is served in the shade of the arbor in summer and by the fireplace on All Saints’ Day. Open: April 5 – September 28, 2025.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Manoir du Cloux was a walled estate, a former priory, just acquired by Etienne Le Loup, minister to King Louis XI. To say that Etienne made giant strides up the social ladder is an understatement. King Charles VIII took possession of the property. He added a majestic oratory in tufa stone to the small red-brick manor house. Bearing the royal coat of arms, fleur-de-lys and ermine tail, this oratory became a place of meditation for the young Queen Anne of Brittany. Forced into marriage at the age of fourteen, the young sovereign rested there after her multiple pregnancies, waiting in vain to offer the king her long-awaited inheritance. When her husband died accidentally on April 7, 1498, Anne left Amboise to join Louis XII, who forced her to marry again. Louise de Savoie took up residence at the Clos Luce, accompanied by her children Marguerite and François, the future François 1er.
François 1er, a young king of 22 and a great lover of art and “beautiful things”, was delighted to be able to rub shoulders with the man whose experience, wisdom and creativity were beyond question. In his small red-brick manor house, Leonardo da Vinci received him in all simplicity, sharing his thoughts and ideas. In the autumn of 1516, Leonardo da Vinci took up residence at the Chateau de Clos Luce, where he was joined by Mathurine, a local cook and maid. On April 23, 1519, feeling the weight of the years increasingly heavy on his fragile shoulders, Leonardo da Vinci dictated his will. Lying in bed at the Manoir du Cloux, he divided his possessions among his closest companions, the faithful among the faithful, and no doubt recalled his last three years at Amboise. At his side was Francesco Melzi, his most gifted apprentice, who worked to embellish the manor’s walls and complete some of his most famous works. Battista da Villanis, his devoted Milanese servant, who assisted him as devotedly as a son to his father. And, of course, Mathurine, the faithful cook, who worked for three years to satisfy her host’s particular eating habits. An extraordinary mind died on May 2, 1519 at Le Clos Lucé.
After the death of Leonardo da Vinci, Louise of Savoy took possession of the place. Philibert Babou de La Bourdaisière and his wife, nicknamed the beautiful Babou (one of the favorites of François I), resided there from 1523. Michel de Gast, Captain of the Guards of Henri III, who participated in the assassination of Cardinal de Guise, became the owner of the Clos Lucé estate in 1583. The castle then passed into the hands of the d’Amboise family in 1632. During the French revolution, the castle narrowly escaped looting thanks to the opposition of Henri-Michel d’Amboise. The castle remained in the Amboise family until 1832. The castle became the property of the Saint Bris family on July 30, 1855. Hubert Saint Bris decided to open it to the public in 1954. The opening to the public again led to modifications to many spaces in order to accommodate large flows. However, there is no description of the spaces occupied by Leonardo, nor any surviving furniture.
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, part II !!! as I,
And remember, happy travel, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 