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

Bonnie
A wonderful trip through Provence and the Riviera planned and organized by Emilie. Stayed in lovely B&Bs and had enough scheduled activities and free time. Emilie provided lots of options of things to do and a complete package for the traveler. Would highly recommend!
Ed
This is the third year in a row that we have traveled to France, as part of a two country vacation. Because of our positive experiences with Emilie's help in the past, and our desire to be relatively independent, we chose to have her craft our French trip again this year. In a word, she is incredible! We have such a high level of confidence in her …
Judy
This was one of the best trips we have taken to Europe. We have often done our own planning. It was so nice to have Laura help. We were very delighted with accommodations and friendliness of all our hosts and tour guides. As Americans that don't speak much French, we would never have been able to arrange a trip like this ourselves - and we've done …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Joe
From the US
Digging & Finding a truffle in Provence
Karla, Lee, Irm, Joel, Brenda & Eugene
from the US
At a restaurant
Arnold from Singapore
Is making his first French "choux"
The Loo Family
From Malaysia
At the breakfast table in the Loire Valley
Fiona
From the UK
At a restaurant in Le Mans
Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Don with his hostess Oriana
From the US
At the hotel in Lyon
Tonia & Peter
from Canada
at the Louvre Museum in Paris
Tonia & Peter
from Canada
on the Pyla sandbar near Bordeaux
Teri, Kennedy & Chris from the US
in Paris !
Phyllis, Gyu & the boys
from Korea
in Nice
Stéphanie & Vania
from the US
on the Aiguille du Midi peak in the French Alps (Chamonix)

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