Loire Châteaux — Leonardo, Francis I & Renaissance

Your journey begins at Place Michel Debré, in front of the Royal Château of Amboise, where François I, born in 1494, was crowned king in 1515. This royal residence, at the heart of the UNESCO 2000 Loire Valley, was the setting for the early years of François I's reign. It is here, in the Saint-Hubert Chapel, that Leonardo da Vinci, who died on May 2, 1519, is now buried. The park, overlooking the Loire, hosted lavish festivities organized by the Italian master for the sovereign, testifying to the effervescence of this period of innovation and artistic patronage that characterizes the heritage of Centre-Val de Loire.

A short walk away, Le Clos Lucé in Amboise opens its doors to you. It was in 1516 that Leonardo da Vinci, at the invitation of François I, settled there, bringing with him the Mona Lisa, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Anne, works now exhibited at the Louvre. Named 'first painter, engineer, and architect to the king', Leonardo died there on May 2, 1519. This château, built around 1500, houses a reconstructed workshop and library, recreating Renaissance bottegas, offering a glimpse into his genius. The facade and Rue Saint-Jacques are freely accessible for an interactive visit.

Continue towards the Pagode de Chanteloup, an exotic monument from 1775, erected by the Duke of Choiseul after his exile by Louis XV. This site, visible from the Domaine de Chanteloup whose park is free, marks the extreme opposite of the Leonardesque Renaissance: chinoiserie as a new court obsession. It invites you to measure the evolution of royal tastes and the gradual abandonment of the Italian influence that prevailed in the time of François I and Leonardo da Vinci, offering a perspective on the architectural styles that followed Amboise's golden age.

Your roadtrip then leads you to the Château de Chambord, an emblem of the French Renaissance whose construction was launched by François I. Its architecture, notably the double-helix staircase, is strongly influenced by Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. Elements of the castle even recall Saint John the Baptist painted by Leonardo, a work that deeply marked François I. The 5440 ha park, freely accessible, allows you to admire the facade. Then, the Château de Chenonceau, with its free-access avenue of plane trees, will show you how Catherine de' Medici extended the Renaissance legacy by adding the bridge over the Cher around 1556, the first French château built over a river, a major historical monument of Centre-Val de Loire.

Finally, the Château de Blois awaits you with its François I wing, testifying to the enlargement initiated by the king after 1515. You will discover the remains of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, commissioned by Louis XII before the reign of François I. The journey concludes at the Tour de l'Horloge in Amboise, a remnant of a bygone era, leaving you with a deep understanding of the impact of these figures on the heritage of Centre-Val de Loire. Your exploration of the Loire castles and the history of Amboise is an invitation to relive the era when art and science redefined the world, a unique thematic circuit for an interactive visit.