Clos Lucé

Amboise, France

Clos Lucé is a mansion in Amboise, France, located 500 metres from the royal Château d'Amboise, to which it is connected by an underground passageway. Built by Hugues d'Amboise in the middle of the fifteenth century, it was acquired in 1490 by Charles VIII of France for his wife, Anne de Bretagne. Later, it was used by Francis I, as well as his sister Marguerite de Navarre, who began writing her book entitled L'Heptaméron while living there.

In 1516, Francis I invited Leonardo da Vinci to Amboise and provided him with the Clos Lucé, then called Château de Cloux, as a place to stay and work. Leonardo, a famous painter and inventor, arrived with three of his paintings, namely the Mona Lisa, Sainte Anne, and Saint Jean Baptiste. Leonardo lived at the Clos Lucé for the last three years of his life, and died there on 2 May 1519.

Today, the Clos Lucé is a museum that reflects the prestigious history of the region and includes forty models of the various machines designed by Leonardo.

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Address

Rue du Clos Luce 2, Amboise, France
See all sites in Amboise

Details

Founded: 1490
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in France

More Information

vinci-closluce.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.chateaux-france.com

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Château d'Amboise (0,6 km)
Post Museum (0,6 km)
Pagode de Chanteloup (2,7 km)
St. Denis' Church (1 km)


Château de Chenonceau (11,2 km)
Château de Villandry (36,8 km)
Château de Blois (32,1 km)
Tours Cathedral (22,5 km)
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours (22,5 km)
Château de Chaumont (16,2 km)
Tours Old Town (23,4 km)
Château de Cheverny (36,4 km)
Basilica of St. Martin (23,3 km)

User Reviews

Nayantara Ghag (3 years ago)
It was very informative, scientific for kids. Many models were displayed for kids to see the working of the inventions done by Leonardo Da Vinci. A must visit!!
Francois & Pam BELORGEY (3 years ago)
Such a beautiful garden to stroll, very interactive and very much highly recommended to go here for a visit. We were lucky to see Mona Lisa amongst the Autumn leaves(as well as the real painting at the Louvre of course)
Imogen Hall (3 years ago)
Quite a big queue to get in, and almost too many people to really enjoy the essence of each room. We felt quite packed in! Having said that, lots of little nooks to sit down in and lovely house to visit.
Robert Kernahan (3 years ago)
A great bit of history and well maintained. It was absolutely packed when we went and we got trapped in a room a few times with so many people coming in and out the door. Overall pretty good but don't go at the busy times.
Don Whinney (3 years ago)
Fantastic visit. House and gardens well laid out and very interesting. Clean and tidy. Well worth the money, unlike the nearby Pagoda. Don't go there, it's a rip off! Go to Chateau du Close and be pleasantly educated.
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