Castle of Clos Lucé
Château du Clos Lucé
The home of Leonardo da Vinci 1516 – 1519
A l’invitation du roi François Ier, Léonard de Vinci quitte l’Italie et s’installe au château du Clos Lucé à l’automne 1516. Âgé de 64 ans, il traverse les Alpes et apporte avec lui trois de ses chefs-d’oeuvre : La Joconde, la Sainte Anne et le Saint Jean Baptiste ainsi que ses carnets et manuscrits.
The Façade © château du Clos LucéCastle of Clos Lucé
The coat of arms, on white tuffeau stone from the Loire valley, shows three fleurs de Lys - or Lilies - which was the symbol of the French monarchy.
The invitation of François I, Leonardo da Vinci "the King's first painter, architect and engineer"
François I expressed a profound respect for da Vinci, who he called "my father". The great craftsman and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, who had also come from Italy, said: "King François, who was so taken with his great qualities, loved to listen to him talk and was to hardly ever be found apart from him..."
Da Vinci attributed a great deal of importance to light in his works: "Look at light and admire its beauty. Close your eyes, and then look again: What you saw is no longer there, and what you will see later has not yet come to be."
LÉONARD DE VINCI, INGÉNIEUR ET ARCHITECTE
Au Clos Lucé, le Maître italien étudie les plans d’un château idéal, notamment ceux d’un escalier à double révolution qui aurait pour partie inspiré l’architecte du Château de Chambord, travaille à l'aménagement hydraulique du territoire, imagine une cité idéale à Romorantin. Ici, il est libre de poursuivre ses recherches sur l'anatomie, les déluges, la botanique.
In Amboise, François I entrusted Leonardo with organizing royal celebrations.
Notably, he created the mechanical lion for the Argentan celebration. When the king struck it, it released lilies which fell to the monarch's feet.
Renaissance Great Hall © château du Clos Lucé (2019)Castle of Clos Lucé
In the council chambers. Leonardo da Vinci received his distinguished guests. Notably, he welcomed François I, the nobility of the kingdom, and ambassadors and artists who came to see him.
On October 10, 1517, da Vinci received a visit from Cardinal d'Aragon at Clos Lucé. According to an account from Antonio Beatis, secretary to the cardinal, Leonardo presented him with a painting of "a Florentine lady painted from life at the request of the late Giuliano de' Medici."
Oral tradition tells that a tunnel connected the Château Royal d'Amboise and the Château du Clos Lucé. François I often used it to visit da Vinci because he admired the depth of his knowledge.
1519 : LA MORT DU MAÎTRE
« Une journée bien remplie donne un bon sommeil. Une vie bien remplie donne une mort tranquille » Léonard de Vinci
On April 23, 1519, Leonardo wrote his will, bequeathing his manuscripts, his sketchbooks and his sketches to his beloved disciple, Francesco Melzi.
He died in his bed at the Château du Clos Lucé on May 2, 1519, aged 67.
François I: "No man possessed such a knowledge of painting, sculpture or architecture as Leonardo, but the same goes for philosophy. He was a great philosopher."
Le Château du Clos Lucé a pour légitime vocation de transmettre l’héritage, la mémoire et la connaissance sur le génie italien, resté intemporel et universel. Situés en Val de Loire, Patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco, berceau de la Renaissance en France, la demeure, son parc culturel, musée de plein air et sa Halle d’exposition permettent à un large public de comprendre et découvrir l’ensemble des savoirs de Léonard de Vinci.
Château du Clos Lucé
