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 (10 months 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 (11 months 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 (13 months 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 (14 months 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 (15 months 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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Château de Chaumont

The Château de Chaumont was founded in the 10th century by Odo I, Count of Blois. The purpose was to protect his lands from attacks from his feudal rivals, Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou. On his behalf the Norman Gelduin received it, improved it and held it as his own. His great-niece Denise de Fougère, having married Sulpice d'Amboise, passed the château into the Amboise family for five centuries.

Pierre d'Amboise unsuccessfully rebelled against King Louis XI and his property was confiscated, and the castle was dismantled on royal order in 1465. It was later rebuilt by Charles I d'Amboise from 1465–1475 and then finished by his son, Charles II d'Amboise de Chaumont from 1498–1510, with help from his uncle, Cardinal Georges d'Amboise; some Renaissance features were to be seen in buildings that retained their overall medieval appearance. The château was acquired by Catherine de Medici in 1550. There she entertained numerous astrologers, among them Nostradamus. When her husband, Henry II, died in 1559 she forced his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, to exchange Château de Chaumont for Château de Chenonceau which Henry had given to de Poitiers. Diane de Poitiers only lived at Chaumont for a short while.

Later Chaumont has changed hands several times. Paul de Beauvilliers bought the château in 1699, modernized some of its interiors and decorated it with sufficient grandeur to house the duc d'Anjou on his way to become king of Spain in 1700. Monsieur Bertin demolished the north wing to open the house towards the river view in the modern fashion.

In 1750, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray purchased the castle as a country home where he established a glassmaking and pottery factory. He was considered the French "Father of the American Revolution" because he loved America. However, in 1789, the new French Revolutionary Government seized Le Ray's assets, including his beloved Château de Chaumont.

The castle has been classified as a Monument historique since 1840 by the French Ministry of Culture. The Château de Chaumont is currently a museum and every year hosts a Garden Festival from April to October where contemporary garden designers display their work in an English-style garden.

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