Château du Clos Lucé
On Gingerguide's self-guided Loire Valley audio tour, Château du Clos Lucé is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Loire Valley Loire Valley guide
About Château du Clos Lucé
The pink-brick manor where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years and died in 1519, now a museum of rooms, a chapel and reconstructed machines from his drawings.
Château du Clos Lucé is a brick-and-stone manor about 500 metres from the Château Royal d'Amboise. The house dates to about 1471, and Charles VIII bought it in 1490, turning it into a comfortable royal residence. At the invitation of François I, Leonardo da Vinci lived here from 1516 until his death on 2 May 1519. He is said to have arrived with three paintings, including the Mona Lisa, now in the Louvre, and was accompanied by his pupils Francesco Melzi and Salaì.
Since 1954 the manor has been a museum devoted to Leonardo. Its basement holds about forty models built from his drawings, produced by IBM, while full-size reconstructions of his machines stand in the surrounding park of some seven hectares, fed by the Amasse stream. Charles VIII had a small chapel built here, later decorated with frescoes attributed to Leonardo's followers. The Saint-Bris family has owned the property since 1855.
Did you know? The machines on show are not Leonardo's originals but modern reconstructions built from his sketches. A set of about forty models, made by IBM, fills the basement, with full-size versions standing out in the park.
How much time do you need at Château du Clos Lucé?
Around ~60 min works well for Château du Clos Lucé — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Château du Clos Lucé?
Yes — Château du Clos Lucé made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Loire Valley. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Loire Valley
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Château du Clos Lucé and read more:
Day 2 of the Loire Valley in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Château du Clos Lucé
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