Leonardo Da Vinci in Amboise

The mysterious Leonardo da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa - la Joconde exposed in the Louvre, Paris - lived and worked in Amboise from 1516 until his death in 1519.

He resided at the edge of Amboise in the Manor of the Clos Luce, a Renaissance house nowadays filled with its work and miniature inventions. The tour will take you on a journey through his brilliant mind and impressive work such as the fabulous flying machine...ancestor of the helicopter.

 Leonardo Da Vinci genius

Leonardo Da Vinci drawings

 

King Francis Ist & Leonardo Da Vinci in Amboise

From le Clos Lucé you can easily walk to Amboise city. There is a secret underground way between Amboise castle and the Clos Lucé so King Francis Ist could meet his “father” Leonardo whenever he wished to. It is also believed that they were so closed that King Francis Ist was holding Leonardo Da Vinci in his arms when he died. This event was painted by another famous artist: Ingres.

Francis Ist and Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo dying in King François 1st arms by Ingres (1780-1897) - ©Petit Palais - Roger Viollet

 

Amboise was the home of Leonardo Da Vinci during its last years of life, under the protection of King Francois 1st who loved Renaissance Italian art. It was actually, Da Vinci’s only home: During all his life in Italy he lived from a place to another to work for local landlords – he never owned his house until he arrived to Amboise.

Good thing that le Clos Lucé was not mentioned in Da Vinci Code: the site is not too crowded and you can really enjoy the manor itself and a beautiful park around it...where you can walk on Leonardo Da Vinci footsteps and try to imagine what was going on in his genius mind.

From Amboise, you are perfectly located to explore the Loire Valley area

Check out some Loire Valley itineraries including Amboise : 

Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4380
pp
Region
in Loire Valley & Bordeaux

Uncover every hideaway and detail of the Loire Valley and Bordeaux UNESCO heritage sites. Taste typical regional fo od at your hosts’ table and stay at Bed & Breakfasts with unique atmospheres .

Heritage & History
Towns & Villages
Duration
26 days
Price
US$ 8850
pp
Region
in Paris, Loire Valley & Normandy

This itinerary will take you to three of the culturally richest regions of France, at a relaxed pace and away from the beaten tracks. We recommend flying into and out of Paris for this itinerary.

Wine Tasting
Heritage & History
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 5880
pp
Region
in Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Dordogne & Provence

France Just For You has organized its own very special Tour de France. No need for a bike but be ready for a great deal of adventure! This itinerary will take you off the beaten path to all the must sees & dos in four of the most enthralling regions of France.

Wine Tasting
Towns & Villages
Gourmet Food

France Just For You is rewarded with the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

We keep working hard for our travelers to have the best experience in France.

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Paul & nancy
We just returned from 15 days in France, this trip was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Emilie and her team were amazing. We started in the south of France and finished in Paris. We visited many towns and villages, Aix, Cassis, Marseilles, les Gorges du Verdon,...The personalized guide book was golden for us. The details and suggestions …
Sheldon
We began planning this trip over a year before our departure date. We have done a lot of traveling but this trip was for our 25th wedding anniversary! Once we decided upon France as our destination all that was left was to get all the details taken care of. Based on previous adventures, we knew that we wanted to drive ourselves on a self- directed …
John
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Marcia & Elliott
Celebrating Marcia's birthday in a Michelin restaurant
Shirley
from Canada
In lavender fields in Provence
Jane & Ron
From Canada
Visiting the Opéra Garnier, in Paris
Elizabeth
From Canada
At her B&B in Normandy
Matt
from Singapore
Enjoy a cheese & cold cut platter by the pool at the B&B
Marcy, Michael & their daughters
from the US
A Paris !
Linda
From Australia
Celebrating her 40th birthday in the Loire Valley
Fiona
From the UK
At a restaurant in Le Mans
Sandy & Dennis
from the US
In Paris by Notre Dame Cathedral
Shanna & Mike
from the US
For their First Wedding Anniversary in Provence
Catherine, Chee Keong & Kate
From Malaysia
In Caen, Normandy, during the June commemorations of D-Day
Clemmer & Dennis
From the US
After folding the US flag in the Meuse Argonne War Cemetery - Eastern France

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