At the invitation of François I who named him the king's first painter, engineer and architect, Leonardo da Vinci moved to the Château du Clos Lucé in 1516, accompanied by his assistants, his drawings and especially the famous Mona Lisa. He died there in 1519 after having designed numerous projects for the monarch.

Le Clos Lucé: a house near the Château d'Amboise

Recognized even today for his immense artistic talent and for his impressive technical inventiveness, Leonardo da Vinci was already an admired personality during his lifetime. The choice of his home at the Château du Clos Lucé was motivated by the proximity of Amboise where François 1st stayed. The two men could thus communicate as much as they wanted. To live easily, the Florentine genius had a pension of 1000 écus in addition to the opulent setting that this place surrounded by a magnificent park provided him.

Incursion into the daily life of a genius

When visiting the interior of the Château du Clos Lucé, you will be charmed by the particular care given to the interior decoration. It is said that the Portrait of Mona Lisa stood proudly in the room where the genius received his illustrious guests. Go to the master's studio to contemplate the place where the double revolution staircase that can be seen at the Château de Chambord was born, the locks of the Loire Valley, but also the royal festivals of the time. For these occasions, Leonardo da Vinci invented automatons. Today, the ground floor houses several dozen models made by IBM based on Da Vinci's original drawings.

Leonardo da Vinci: a life of creation

Exploring the Château du Clos Lucé and its park promises moments of wonder through life-size prototypes that reveal a small part of the prodigy's overflowing imagination. In the garden, you can thus marvel at visionary works such as the helicopter, the paddle wheel or the two-level bridge. Several cultural events and exhibitions pay tribute to the life of creativity and ingenuity of this unique character in the history of Humanity. During your stay in the town, do not miss the opportunity to make a detour to the castle of Amboise where the artist and engineer spent a lot of time in the company of the monarch, the one who called him “father”.