One of the most famous Renaissance castles in France, Clos Lucé (Le château du Clos Lucé) is located in the central part of the Loire Valley in the city of Amboise.

Owners and main events

In 1471, the lands near Amboise, previously belonging to the Cistercian abbey of Monsay, were sold to the favorite of Louis XI, E. de Loup. He purchased them in order to build his new home, corresponding to the status of a royal advisor. Its construction was completed in 1477.

In 1490, the castle of Clos-Lucé was acquired from the favorite Charles VIII, who had fallen out of favor, and decided to transform it into his summer residence. He invites master masons, carvers and artists from Italy to rebuild it. For his wife Anne de Breton, he orders a small chapel to be added to the castle.

In 1515, the castle of Clos Lucé became the property of François I's mother, Louise of Savoy, and the heir to the French throne and his sister Margaret of Navarre spent their youth there. During these years the castle became a symbol French Renaissance, artists and poets are hospitably received within its walls, and in 1516-1519 it became the home of L. da Vinci.

After the death of the great Italian, the castle belonged to F. Baba de la Bordossier, whose wife “ beautiful Baba”, becomes one of the favorites of King Francois I. Since 1583, the captain of the guard of Henry IV, M. Gast, who participated in the murder of the Duke of Guise, became the owner of the domain.

Since 1632, the castle has again been owned by the d'Amboise family. During the revolutionary events of 1789-1793, member of the National Convention M. d'Amboise managed to prevent the looting of the castle. In 1855, Clos Lucé was acquired by the Comte de Saint-Brie, whose descendants still own it in the 21st century.

In 1954, Yu de Saint-Brie opened his domain to the public. In the 1960s, after a lengthy restoration, the castle was returned architectural appearance XVI century

Castle architecture

Clos Lucé is located on the site of ancient ruins from the Gallo-Roman period in the center of a park located on the banks of the Loire tributary of the Clos River. Of the castle's fortifications, only the massive square tower, connected by galleries to a residential building. Near the castle you can also see the remains of defensive ramparts. Two two-story buildings are located around the perimeter of a square courtyard. Built from red brick and tuff, the castle's facades have remained virtually unchanged since construction was completed.

In 1492, by order of Charles VIII, a small chapel was erected near the castle, intended for the secluded prayers of his wife A. de Breton. Volcanic tuff was used in the construction of the small Gothic temple. The interiors of the chapel are decorated with frescoes painted by students of L. Da Vinci. The plots of the works were biblical stories about the Annunciation and Last Judgment. Above the door of the chapel is a fresco of the Radiant Virgin Mary.

Museum exhibition

In the middle of the 20th century. The Leonardo da Vinci Museum opened in the castle apartments. The interior decoration of the rooms and halls has been restored in accordance with the tastes of the Renaissance, and now tourists can visit the kitchen, bedroom, large salon, rooms of Leonardo da Vinci and Margarita of Navarre. They are furnished with antique furniture created by master cabinetmakers centuries ago.

In the four basement rooms of the castle there is an exhibition telling about the technical creativity of L. da Vinci. The museum showcases display about 40 models and many copies of historical documents. With the help of modern computer equipment, its visitors can better understand the principles of operation of the mechanisms and see them in action on monitor screens.

From the basement of the castle there is an underground passage about 400 m long, connecting it with the royal residence of Amboise. According to legend, Francois I used it more than once when he wanted to visit his guest from Italy.

Natural surroundings

Next to the castle there is a large park. Now a significant part of its territory is occupied by the Leonardo da Vinci Garden (jardin de Leonardo de Vinci). While walking along its alleys, you can see 20 models of inventions made according to his sketches and drawings. These are prototypes of an airplane and a car. Tanka, collapsible and two-level bridges. In the park there is also a dovecote built at the request of E. de Loup, which simultaneously housed about a thousand birds.

The uniqueness of the park's landscape is given by waterfalls and streams running to the central pond, artificial rocks and grottoes, observation platforms and a rich collection of plants. Dozens of pines and Italian cypresses, yew and alder are planted in it, and the flower beds are decorated with irises, cyclomena, violets and lilies.

How to get there

Address: 2 Rue du Clos Lucé, Amboise
Telephone: +33 2 47 57 00 73
Website: vinci-closluce.com
Opening hours: 9:00-19:00

Ticket price

• Adult: 15.5 €
• Reduced: 14 €
• Child: 11 €

Updated: 08/17/2017

The castle of Clos-Lucé, located next to the royal castle of Amboise and connected to it by an underground passage, is the most “creative” of the castles of the Loire, because it became the place where he spent the last three years of his life great man Renaissance - Leonardo da Vinci.

Clos Lucé actually became the house-museum of the brilliant master. Having gone to Amboise, it is impossible not to visit Clos Lucé, and around the last refuge of the great Leonardo a charming park and garden have been recreated, and if you wish, you can imagine how he walked here, invented and reflected on life and creativity.

History of the castle of Clos Lucé

This castle, like most other castles in the Loire Valley, dates back to the Middle Ages. In its current form, it was built in 1471 on 12th-century foundations by Etienne Leloup, head waiter and lieutenant of King Louis XI. Clos Lucé is not striking in its size (compared to other Loire castles, it can rather be called a house), but it impresses with the grace of its façade of pink brick and white sandstone. The area around Clos Lucé was wonderful - the valley of the small river Amas, which flows into the Loire, and a large shady park. It is not surprising that the son of Louis XI, Charles III, nicknamed the Gracious, liked it, and in 1490 he bought the castle of Clos-Lucé. The Duke of Angoulême, the future king Francis I, spent his childhood and youth in Clos Luce. This fact is interesting due to the fact that it was at the invitation of Francis I that Leonardo da Vinci came from Italy to the castle in 1516. The master lived and worked here until his death in May 1519. By the way, he took three paintings with him to Clos Luce from his homeland - “Mona Lisa”, “Madonna and Child and St. Anne” and “St. John the Baptist."

The monarch received his friend Leonardo with great honors, appointed him “the first royal artist, architect and engineer” and often spent time talking with the genius, enjoying his company. Leonardo organized colorful festivals at court, innovative for those times (when you read their descriptions, you just want to say “show”), and made drawings for the ideal castle of Francis I in the city of Romorantin. There is an assumption that it was Leonardo da Vinci who came up with the idea spiral staircase at the Chateau de Chambord. He put forward a project for a canal system connecting the Loire Valley with the province of Lyonne, and also continued to work on paintings and his inventions. Judging by the surviving documentary evidence of that time, recent years In his life, Leonardo da Vinci was quite happy and calm, but, anticipating his death, he regretted that he could not fully use the gift given to him by nature.

Interesting: The name Luce, supposedly, comes from the image on one of the ancient frescoes of the castle of the “Madonna of Light” (Virgo lucis)

There is a great heritage in and around the Château de Clos Lucé Italian master. On the first and second floors of the castle there are, among other things, the bedroom of Leonardo da Vinci, a gallery, the bedroom of Margaret of Navarre, the chapel of Anne of Brittany, halls and a state salon for receiving the most distinguished guests. Of particular interest is the room with Leonardo’s engineering creations, which were five centuries ahead of their time.

Forty devices designed by Leonardo da Vinci are presented here. They were modeled by IBM based on the artist's original drawings. Among them are the first tank, the first car, a swing bridge, a paddle steamer, the ancestor of the airplane, a helicopter, a parachute... This is very impressive.

In Leonardo da Vinci Park, which has special routes for visitors to Clos Lucé, you will see 20 giant movable models, drawings and paintings by the artist on 40 translucent canvases ranging from 3 to 4 meters high and many other interesting things.

In Leonardo's garden, located to the right of the alley that descends into the park, pay attention to the large oak two-tier bridge. It was also designed by a master, and a similar bridge structure is widely used today.

The Château de Clos Lucé is located in the center of Amboise, 300 meters from the Royal Château de Amboise. Geographically, it is 25 kilometers from the city of Tours, and 10 kilometers from Chenonceau.

The castle is open to visitors all year round(except December 25 and January 1). A walk through the park and garden and inspection of all the described art objects is possible from March to November.

How to get to Clos Lucé Castle

By train: Paris - Tour Saint-Pierre-de-Corts in an hour by TGV train (the station is located 20 km from Clos Luce, then by local train or taxi), or by direct train Paris-Amboise in 2 hours (Amboise station located two kilometers from Clos Lucé)

By car: Paris-Amboise via the Aquitaine A10 motorway (exit Chateau Renault-Amboise). Distance 210 kilometers, approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

Castle of Clos Lucé photo

Leonardo da Vinci's bedroom

Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci

Park at the castle of Clos Lucé

Other Loire castles:

The Loire is filled with the works of Leonardo da Vinci. But one of the castles still remembers the sound of his steps. This is the same castle where he lived great master last few years of life - Castle of Clos Lucé. Today there is a museum of the master here. This white and pink castle is located very close to the royal one. He is clearly visible from the loopholes of his watchtower. Through the same tower you can go down to the inner chambers of the castle. Now many rooms are open to visitors. From the very beginning, the artist's bedroom attracts attention. The entire set was made under the direction of Leonardo da Vinci, in the Renaissance style. In the corner of the room there is a working fireplace with the king's coat of arms. A wide double door leads into the next room - the artist's studio. It was here that he made drawings of those mechanisms that would only be invented half a millennium later. On the bedside table lies the master's diary. You can see real handwritten text, original notes made by the hand of Leonardo da Vinci. In this workshop he painted portraits of his high-ranking models, and here he developed most of his projects.

Castle of Clos Lucé - photo

From the artist's studio you find yourself in his office. It creates a feeling of the invisible presence of the master. The study area is followed by salons furnished in a Renaissance style. Everything here is immersed in luxury - all the furniture is inlaid with gilding, a lot of porcelain and earthenware, Venetian glass chandeliers. There is also a chapel in the castle, which was painted by Leonardo’s students. Like this one interesting castle Clos-Lucé! But the history of the castle is even more amazing.

At first there was a monastery on this site. Two centuries later, when there were no longer any monks in it, and the building began to collapse, the land came under the ownership of Charles VIII. He rebuilds the building at his own discretion, making it a royal residence. Many celebrities live there (including the great da Vinci). After the death of Leonardo da Vinci, the castle was acquired by the Amboise family. Members of this family manage to save the castle during the French Revolution. Today, the castle of Clos Lucé officially belongs to the Saint-Brie family - the heirs of the Amboises. This family managed to preserve the castle during the wars, and they still take care of it now.

Castle of Clos Lucé - video

Clos Lucé Castle - opening hours, how to get there

The Château de Clos Lucé is open to the public all year round (except December 25th and January 1st). You can visit it in July and August from 9:00 to 20:00; from February to June (as well as September and October) - from 9:00 to 19:00; in November and December - from 9:00 to 18:00; in January - from 10:00 to 18:00.

About the castle

It is impossible to imagine the reign of King Francis I of France without the creativity and works of Leonardo da Vinci. This great genius left behind many works and many mysteries. But there is a castle in the Loire Valley, about which it is known for certain that Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life here.

The Loire Valley has been delighting tourists for decades with the variety of its castles. These lands have been favored by kings, but Clos-Lucé Castle is special. This is not just a castle, it is the last refuge of a genius. Today, the Clos Lucé castle houses the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. Here you can see how he lived, how he worked, where he found his last refuge, and what he managed to invent in such a short time.

A majestic castle made of white and pink stone is located on the banks of the same Loire. The Clos Lucé castle is located in the town of Amboise, just 400 meters from the royal castle of Amboise. While working in his office, Leonardo often liked to look at the castle of his friend the king.

The tour begins at the Clos-Lucé castle with a climb to the watchtower. From there you have magnificent views of the surroundings of Amboise and the Amboise castle itself. This castle has a lot of unusual things, from the garden to the exhibition. Therefore, the main feeling that can accompany you throughout the entire excursion is surprise. Through the watchtower you can go inside the palace.

Many rooms in the castle are open for tourists to visit. Let's mention just a few of them. In Leonardo's bedroom you can see a fireplace with the coat of arms of the King of France. There is a lot of furniture made in Italy, the bed is made in the spirit of the Renaissance. From the bedroom the path will lead you to da Vinci's study. Here in the diary you can even see the date of the start of work in France written in Leonardo’s hand. The first French date is on the day of the Ascension of the Lord in Amboise, in Cloux (Castle of Clos-Lucé) - May 1517. In this office, Leonardo works as a court artist, completes his “John the Baptist,” and also works as an engineer and architect. There are many of his personal items, drawings, everything is laid out as if he had just left this office.

After the study, you will see salons furnished in the spirit of the 18th century. Apparently, these rooms served as Leonardo’s workshop, where he completed his paintings. There is a lot of furniture with instructions and gilding, also Venetian chandeliers, Aubusson tapestries, armchairs in the style of Louis XV, a lot of earthenware and porcelain.

Also in the castle you can see Leonardo da Vinci's kitchen. It was run by his devoted housewife Maturina. The main feature of the kitchen is the tall stone fireplace. It was perfectly preserved and has survived to this day safe and sound, despite the revolution and two world massacres. Here you can see forged round dishes with unique paintings from “ Old Testament" There is a “conversation” chair, and the walls are decorated with tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries. But the most interesting room in the castle museum was and remains the model room. Here you can see the designs of inventions invented by Leonardo. In total, the layout hall combines 4 rooms. Forty models are displayed here, arranged according to original drawings Leonardo da Vinci. Here there is the first swing bridge built, the first prototype of a tank, the first car, wheeled ship, aircraft, helicopter, parachute project, and all this was invented by Leonardo back in the 15th century! All layouts are working, you can touch and rotate them.

Here you can also see the chapel, which was painted with frescoes by students of Leonardo da Vinci. In addition to visiting the castle itself, in Clos Luce you will also be offered a walk through the Leonardo da Vinci Park. It is no less interesting than the castle itself. There is even a special route in the lap of nature. You can see with your own eyes how Leonardo's sketches, his hydraulic inventions, and even landscapes come to life. The palace halls can be rented for exhibitions or seminars. The castle of Clos Lucé is historical monument and is protected by law.

History of the castle

Oddly enough, but the Leonardo da Vinci Castle Museum began for history as... convent! Sulpicius the Third of the House of Amboise in 1214 granted lands to the nuns of Monse. In 1477, the favorite chef of King Louis XI, Etienne Le Loup, based on ancient buildings from the Halo-Roman period, built a small manor house-castle on this site. Around this house was built huge amount defensive fortifications, including a square watchtower, which has survived to this day. Narrow windows, secret passage, gallery, drawbridge. In 1490, the estate was acquired by King Charles VIII and rebuilt in his own spirit. It was from this king that traces of the Renaissance remained in the castle of Clos-Lucé against the backdrop of the flaming Gothic style, which appeared a little later. The castle was purchased for 3,500 gold crowns. The deed of sale is still kept in Clos Luce. According to the idea of ​​​​Charles VIII, Clos Luce was supposed to be not just a castle, but a royal residence. Architects, masons, and artists come from all over the country.

Whoever lived in this castle at one time, King Francis I and his sister Margaret of Navarre spent their childhood and youth here. Here lived the favorite of the king, Babou de la Bourdieuseur, and here lived one of the murderers of the Duke of Guise, Michel du Gast, the favorite of King Henry III. It was here that Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked for the last three years of his life. For his work, Leonardo received 700 crowns a year from the king's bounty. He was very friendly with King Francis; not a day passed without them talking to each other. In honor of his friend, Leonardo even organized a magnificent celebration, similar to those he organized at the court of Lorenzo the Magnificent. There is a legend that Francis often came to visit Leonardo through a secret underground passage that has been preserved in the castle since the time of Louis VIII. On the eve of Easter 1519, Leonardo da Vinci, anticipating his imminent death, drew up his will. He bequeaths his drawings, instruments and books to his beloved student Francesco Melzi, and in his will he asks God to take his soul. On May 2, 1519, Leonardo da Vinci passed away.

After the death of Leonardo da Vinci, the castle changed owners several times until it became the property of the Amboise family. It was this family that saved the castle from destruction during the French Revolution. Then the castle was inherited by the Saint-Brie family. It belongs to this family to this day. They restored it and protected it during the world wars. Now they are conducting a whole campaign to restore the presence of Leonardo da Vinci in this castle.

Opening hours:
The castle and park are open all year round. Walks in the park can be taken throughout the high season - 01.03. - 15.11
Closed days: December 25, January 1
January: 10:00 - 18:00
February-June: 9:00-19:00
July-August: 9:00-20:00
September-October: 9:00-19:00
November-December: 9:00-18:00
The last tickets are sold one hour before closing. The procedure for inspecting the complex is free. Inspection time: park + castle 2-3 hours.

At the invitation of King Francis I, Leonardo da Vinci.

Francis was a passionate admirer of art and in 1516 proposed Leonardo da Vinci move to France. In addition to the fact that the king awarded Leonardo an annual pension of 700 thousand gold ecus per year, Francis also gave the great master the castle of Clos Lucé.

The choice of the king's gift was not accidental. Clos Lucé is located just a 15-minute walk from the castle, which was a royal residence in the early 16th century. Conversations with Leonardo were a kind of rest for Francis from the burden of state concerns, and the king tried to visit Leonardo in his castle every day. And for the safety of royal movement, an underground passage was dug between Amboise and Clos-Lucé.

History of the castle

However, history of the castle of Clos Lucé began long before the Renaissance. Initially, this place was the site of a Gaul settlement, and then a Roman fort. In the era early Middle Ages The Franks settled here, and during the reign of King Louis the Eleventh, the first version of the Clos-Lucé castle was built. This building became the property of one of the king's favorites, a certain Etienne de Loup.

The castle of Clos-Lucé was fenced in those days by a powerful system of defensive structures. The castle was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water, a secret underground passage led into it, and powerful castle bastions rose behind the moat. However, today practically nothing remains of the formidable military appearance of the castle. Today the castle is one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance.

In 1490 the castle was acquired by the king Charles the Seventh, and Clos-Lucé became a royal possession. By the way, the king bought the castle for 3,500 gold crowns, about which there are special records in the relevant registers. It was Charles who turned the medieval castle into a real royal residence, inviting architects from Naples to design the castle.

After the Renaissance, the castle came into the possession of the d'Amboise family, which, by the way, saved it from destruction by the Jacobins during the French Revolution. Currently, the castle is privately owned. Today's owners of Clos Lucé are actively restoring the castle, trying to return it to the appearance that the castle had when Leonardo da Vinci lived in it.

Castle of Clos Lucé on the map