The childhood home of Charles VIII and the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, elegant Amboise, 23km northeast of Tours, is pleasantly perched along the southern bank of the Loire and overlooked by its fortified château.
Château Royal d’AmboiseCHÂTEAU
Elegantly tiered on a rocky escarpment above town, this easily defendable castle presented a formidable prospect to would-be attackers – but saw little military action. It was more often a weekend getaway from the official royal seat at Blois. Charles VIII (r 1483–98), born and bred here, was responsible for the château’s Italianate remodelling in 1492. Today just a few of the original 15th- and 16th-century structures survive, notably the Flamboyant Gothic wing and Chapelle St-Hubert, the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci. They have thrilling views to the river, town and gardens.
Le Clos LucéHISTORIC BUILDING
Leonardo da Vinci took up residence at this grand manor house in 1516 on the invitation of François I. An admirer of the Italian Renaissance, François named da Vinci 'first painter, engineer and king's architect'. Already 64 by the time he arrived, da Vinci spent his time sketching, tinkering and dreaming up new contraptions, scale models of which are now displayed throughout the home and its expansive gardens. Visitors tour rooms where da Vinci worked and the bedroom where he drew his last breath on 2 May 1519.
The tourist office ( www.amboise-valdeloire.com ; quai du Général de Gaulle; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Sun, closed Sun Nov-Mar) offers walking tours.
Getting There & Around
From the train station (bd Gambetta) (1.5km north of the château), there are services to Blois (€7, 20 minutes, 13 daily) and Paris’ Gare d’Austerlitz (€15, 1¾ hours, four daily).
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