Clos Lucé, Medieval château in Amboise, France
Clos Lucé is a brick château with white stone trim in Amboise, distinguished by Gothic windows and an octagonal tower. The building connects with several exhibition rooms that spread across a terraced garden, where paths wind through models of machines.
Francis I invited Leonardo da Vinci to live in this residence in 1516, where the artist spent three years working and living. The king had acquired the building shortly before from the Amboise family to offer it to his guest.
The name Clos Lucé comes from a medieval cloister that once stood on the site. Today visitors encounter replicas of Leonardo's inventions scattered throughout the park, placed among flower beds and beneath trees.
The estate opens daily except in January when maintenance work takes place, and visiting typically takes two to three hours. A route leads through the upstairs rooms and then out into the garden with its models.
An underground passage links the estate to the royal castle of Amboise and allowed Francis I to visit Leonardo discreetly. In Leonardo's bedroom hangs a copy of the Mona Lisa, recalling that he brought the original to France.
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