Description of the attraction
Chateau du Clos Luce is one of the most famous castles of the Middle Ages, located in the Loire Valley. The fame of this small castle was brought by the actors of French history who lived here - King Francis I and Margaret of Navarre, his sister, as well as the favorite of Henry III and participant in the assassination of Duke de Guise Michel du Gast.
But the most famous inhabitant of this castle was Leonardo da Vinci, a famous artist, scientist and inventor. He spent the last three years of his life in Clos-Luce, accepting an invitation to settle here from the monarch Francis I. Currently, the castle houses the Leonardo da Vinci house-museum.
The castle was built in 1477, and one of its first owners was the royal chef Etienne Leloux. Once the building, the walls of which were made of red brick with a frame of white stone, attracted Charles VIII and was bought for 3,500 gold coins. Later, the future monarch Francis I settled in the royal residence. Becoming king and remembering the wonderful times spent here, as well as wishing the arts to flourish in France, in 1516 he invited Leonardo da Vinci to Clos-Luce. The residence of Francis I, the castle of Amboise and Clos-Luce, was connected by an underground passage, along which the ruler could come to the master at any time for a friendly conversation.
During his stay in Clos-Luce, Leonardo da Vinci worked on the completion of the painting "John the Baptist", drew up drawings and invented various mechanisms. Models of his inventions, which represent prototypes of cars, helicopters, bicycles and other means of transportation, can be seen in the exposition. It occupies four rooms of the castle and includes forty models, made according to da Vinci's drawings. Interestingly, each of the layouts can be touched and tested in action.
The castle maintains the atmosphere that was here during the life of the genius. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the master's study and bedroom, the luxuriously decorated reception hall, the halls that served as workshops, the castle kitchen with a 16th century fireplace.
During the French Revolution, the castle belonged to the Amboise family, who saved it from destruction. In the 20th century and now, the owners of the castle are the Saint-Brie family, who cares about the safety of the castle and creating the atmosphere that was here during the life of Leonardo da Vinci.
The castle is surrounded by a park called Leonardo's Garden.
