Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Château Royal d'Amboise
PHOTOGRAPHER: JENNY JONES
Today, just a few of the original 15th- and 16th-century structures survive, notably
the
Flamboyant Gothic wing
and the
Chapelle St-Hubert
, a small chapel dedic-
ated to the patron saint of hunting (note the carved stag horns and hunting friezes
outside) and believed to be the final resting place of da Vinci.
Exit the château through
Tour Hurtault
on an ingenious sloping spiral ramp de-
signed to allow carriages and horses to easily ascend to the château from the town
below.
LE CLOS LUCÉ
( 02 47 57 00 73;
www.vinci-closluce.com
; 2 rue du Clos Lucé; adult/child €12.50/
7.50; 9am-7pm)
Leonardo da Vinci (pronounced van-see in French) took up res-
idence in the grand manor house at Le Clos Lucé in 1516 on the invitation of
François I, who was greatly enamoured with the Italian Renaissance. Already 64 by
the time he arrived, da Vinci spent his time sketching, tinkering and dreaming up
Historic Mansion
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