Leonardo da Vinci’s last residence, the Château du Clos Lucé, is dedicated to conveying an overall picture of the art and the boundless vision of the Tuscan artist. From civil and military engineer to botanist, in his work as an architect and as a musician, the all-encompassing nature of Leonardo da Vinci’s intuition is brought to life before your eyes.

Château du Clos Lucé: the daily life of Leonardo da Vinci - 40 of his fabulous inventions
Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life at Clos Lucé, at the invitation of the King of France, Francis I, and here he devoted himself to perfecting his inventions, before he died on 2 May 1519.

You can visit his bedroom, his kitchen, his study, the Renaissance halls, the chapel with its frescoes painted by his pupils as well as 40 of his inventions on the themes of military engineering, town planning, mechanics, flying machines and hydraulics.

Parc Leonardo da Vinci: a landscaped walk dedicated to revealing the intellectual scope of the Tuscan Master

A learning experience, along this walk visitors can see the sources of his inspiration, with the help of 16 giant working machines and 32 translucent panels 3 to 4 metres high which depict sketches and details from Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings.

8 audio stops allow you to listen to the thoughts of this Renaissance genius in the voice of Jean Piat.

Leonardo’s Garden – Leonardo and Nature
Created with the assistance of top researchers and scientists. For the first time, in a landscaped natural site, the Château du Clos Lucé brings to life Leonardo da Vinci’s botanical drawings, geological and hydrodynamic studies and landscapes.

The double-deck bridge, invented by Leonardo and built by the Compagnons du Devoir, is an invitation to take a stroll among the landscapes, plants and waterfalls that the Master admired in this very place.

The Hall: This is an exhibition and activity space. In 2006 exhibition was devoted to Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and the "Unexpected Mona Lisa" in 2007, the 2008 exhibition was on the theme of "Nature in the painted works of Leonardo da Vinci". As a child and throughout his life Leonardo da Vinci learnt everything by observing Nature. He said of nature that "Everything is there". His many drawings, sketches and writings reflect this. The exhibitions take you into this world and demonstrate the importance of landscapes in the painted works of Leonardo da Vinci.

Opening dates

The Château and the Hall are open daily all year round (except 25 December and 1 January). The landscaped itinerary is open daily from 1 March to 15 November inclusive.

Times

January: 10am-6pm
February-june: 9am-7pm
July-August: 9am-8pm
September-October: 9am-7pm
November-December: 9am-6pm

Where

2 rue du Clos Lucé
37400 Amboise
Val de Loire - France
http://www.vinci-closluce.com/

© Catherine Simon Marion

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