2 Le Clos Luce Amboise Val De Loire Chateau EnfantThe Château du Clos Lucé
Visit, history and online tickets
3 things to know
before getting ready for the adventure1, 2, 3 things to know about the Clos Lucé to impress your friends! 🤩
Calling all curious minds and know-it-alls! Forget trivia cards, now you can impress your friends and show off your knowledge. During your visit to the Clos Lucé, get ready to impress everyone with 3 fun facts you probably didn’t know!
- Leonardo da Vinci had an underground passage built beneath the Château du Clos Lucé to reach the Château royal d’Amboise, where he could meet with the famous architect Domenico da Cortona! We can call him his bff 😉
- A story worthy of an action movie! During the French Revolution, the Château du Clos Lucé was spared from looting thanks to the Amboise family. Without them, Leonardo da Vinci’s residence would likely have been destroyed along with the monarchy…
- In 2017, the owners tore down the 18th-century salons to recreate a setting closer to Leonardo’s time… without any official authorization. The case even ended up in court!
Must-see
The Clos Lucé and its must-sees! 📸
The Château du Clos Lucé may be smaller than the other Loire Valley castles, but it’s full of hidden gems! After all, it’s not every day you get to visit the final residence of one of the greatest artists in history. Here are the main rooms of the Château du Clos Lucé, perfect for budding artists and seasoned painters alike! 👇🏼
- Leonardo da Vinci’s bedroom: This room offers an exclusive view of the Château royal d’Amboise. It’s also where Leonardo da Vinci took his final breath…
- Marguerite de Navarre’s bedroom: Here, you can admire a portrait of Francis I’s sister, painted by the King’s official artist, François Clouet!
- Anne of Brittany’s oratory: Above the door, the fresco Virgo Lucis is said to have inspired the name “Clos Lucé”. You won’t want to miss it!
- Leonardo’s painting studio and study: Step into the mind of the genius through an immersive experience in his creative spaces. A favorite for both kids and adults!
- The Leonardo da Vinci park: A magical outdoor trail where children can interact with life-sized models of Leonardo’s inventions. Take your time, this is where his brilliant ideas were born.
- Leonardo’s garden: Reconnect with nature the way Leonardo did. Observing the natural world inspired his greatest experiments… Who knows? A stroll through this garden might spark your own groundbreaking idea!
Come meet the famous faces of the Clos Lucé
In the recipe for the perfect Loire experience, we need… the key characters of the Clos Lucé! Because behind every great story, there are great people. Discover the men and women who shaped this iconic place into what it is today 👇🏼
- Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany: It was King Charles VIII and his wife Anne of Brittany who purchased the Clos Lucé, turning it into a royal retreat. At the time, the château was known as “Château du Cloux”.
- Francis I and Louise of Savoy: They invited the legendary Leonardo da Vinci to their Château in Amboise. Francis I named him “Premier Painter, Engineer and Architect to the King”, and gifted him the Clos Lucé so he could stay close by.
- Leonardo da Vinci: He made the Clos Lucé famous by spending the last three years of his life there, working on ambitious projects for King Francis I.
- The Amboise family: We can never thank them enough! Without their protection during the French Revolution, the Clos Lucé might have been destroyed… But you knew that already, didn’t you?
- The Saint Bris family: They are the current owners of the Château du Clos Lucé.
Leonardo da Vinci: true star of the Loire Valley châteaux!
Leonardo da Vinci was the celebrity of the French kings! As the king’s engineer and architect, he worked on royal projects from his workshop at the Clos Lucé. Who knows? Maybe your visit will spark a few callings? Many technical marvels were dreamed up right here, including:
- The Ideal City of Romorantin, which was meant to become the kingdom’s new capital
- The iconic double-helix staircase at the Château de Chambord
- A network of canals and locks connecting Italy via the Loire Valley and the Lyon region
- The staging of royal festivities like the “Lys flower spitting lion”
- Flat-pack houses for the royal court, the mobile homes of the Renaissance!
… And so much more!
There might be a little Leonardo da Vinci hiding in your family, so keep an eye out, you might be surprised!
Other visits you might enjoy
Got questions? We've got answers!
- Who was behind the construction of the Château du Clos Lucé?
Back in the day, the Château du Cloux was a former feudal estate. While we don’t know exactly who built it, it was King Charles VIII who purchased the medieval fortress. Thanks to him, it was transformed into a royal residence of leisure.
- Where is Leonardo da Vinci buried?
It is widely believed that Leonardo’s presumed remains are buried in Saint-Hubert Chapel at the Royal Château of Amboise, in accordance with his final wishes.
- How to get to the Château du Clos Lucé?
You can reach the Château du Clos Lucé by car, a paid parking lot is available on-site. Prefer the train? The Tours–Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station is located about 20 km from Amboise, while the Amboise train station is just 2 km from the château!
Coming from Paris? The PARISCityVISION shuttle service regularly offers direct transport to Amboise!
- Where is the Château du Clos Lucé located?
The Château du Clos Lucé is in Amboise, just 400 meters from the Château royal d’Amboise.
- What are the opening hours of the Château du Clos Lucé?
The Château du Clos Lucé and the Leonardo da Vinci Park are open every day, except on December 25th and January 1st. Opening hours vary by season:
- September, October, February, April, May, June: 9 am – 7 pm
- November, December : 9 am – 6 pm
- January: 10 am – 6 pm
- July, August: 9 am – 8 pm
