Chateau Amboise: Where Leonardo da Vinci is Buried
Amboise is a pretty little town in Loire Valley of France on the banks of River Loire. After the tour of Mont St Michel, the most popular among French Cathedrals, in the western edge of France we arrived at Amboise. We had planned to complete the tour of St Hubert Chapel, Amboise Chateau and Tomb of Leonardo in two hours.
Amboise Chateau Gardens
As we entered the gates after a long climb we were bombarded with the sight of amazing landscapes. The grounds around are very creatively managed. The chapel stands elegant at a distance; the façade with grand sculpted works. The view of the town makes an amazing sight from these heights. “It is going to be another rainy day” I thought seeing the dark clouds looming low at the extreme end. There was a long journey ahead and this chateau of Amboise was just the first halt of the day!
Amboise Castle Gardens
View from Amboise castle France
Saint Hubert Chapel Amboise
St. Hubert chapel is a precious gothic gem of 1491. The lace like work on the chapel stands out clear and distinct. The arch over the entry door is a sight to pause and admire. Charles VIII built the chapel for his wife Anne de Bretagne. They are seen on the arch above the door admiring the ‘Virgin and Child’.
St. Hubert Chapel Amboise
The panel below that depicts the story of St. Hubert’s conversion to Christianity. St. Hubert, when young, was a man of leisure and took great pleasure in hunting. But the moment he saw the crucifix on the antlers of the stag in the panel, his life changed totally.
Saint Hubert was considered the patron of hunting and hunters. French kings were often attracted to Amboise for hunting. Observe the picture to see the crucifix on the antlers.
St Hubert, a small chapel with grand interiors, the tour inside was over quickly. Here are a couple of shots: above the altar,
St. Hubert Chapel Ceiling Amboise
One of the windows with stained glass paintings.
Leonardo da Vinci Tomb
It is really difficult to choose between the several chateaus when you have just one day in hand to tour. We chose the chateau of Amboise because of its prestigious association with Leonardo da Vinci. The Saint-Hubert chapel there houses the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci. He spent his last few years in this town Amboise and died on 2 May 1519.
From what I read about Leonardo da Vinci, he in his will had mentioned his desire to be buried in the Church of St. Florentin on the grounds of Château d’Amboise. That was done, however in mid 1800s the church was demolished. The workers there dug up this complete skeleton and pieces of stone chiseled with this great man’s name. The artist’s remains were then transferred to St-Hubert’s chapel.
I was surprised to learn that he reached Amboise in France toward the end of his life. His residence while living here in Amboise is called Chateau du Clos Luce. Sadly I missed visiting it.
Leonardo da Vinci tomb in St. Hubert Chapel Amboise France
“A well-filled day gives a good sleep. A well-filled life gives a peaceful death.”
— Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Gardens of Amboise Castle
We visited Amboise when the Spring hadn’t set in yet. Nevertheless what we got to see spoke volumes of how beautiful it must be during spring. They are listed as a World Heritage by the UNESCO.
This jardin de Naples was designed by Italian master gardener Dom Pacello da Mercogliano , planted on the heights of the estate, was meant to be a tribute to Emir Abd El Kader and his companions. The wonderful bed of box trees makes a unique landscape.
Amboise Castle Gardens
Wisteria From Amboise, France
I bet you wouldn’t have seen a wisteria tree as old as this one. At Amboise chateau, I saw this old wisteria adding immense beauty to the old walls. A board there mentions it was planted in 1840s.
Today, more than one and half centuries old, the trunk has hardened and thickened. The flowering plant belonging to the pea family, which usually has a tender stem in its initial years, looked strange in its ‘twisted and bent with age’ form.
When we were there, the wall on which it crept and climbed was completely covered with its blooms. The drooping sprays, racemes, measured almost 30 to 40cms. A bench there provided ample photo sessions for tourists. Sharing a couple of shots here.
Wisteria From Amboise Chateau France
Chateaux Amboise
We had to walk up a ramp to get access to the castle. Cast a sideward glance to the virtual treat of the French countryside, the rooftops of Amboise, and the River Loire. Lately they have made arrangements for making the access handicap friendly.
History of Amboise Chateau
Chateau d’Amboise dates back to the 11th century. Till mid-15th century this was just a fortress. French monarchy took over this fortress, King Charles IV took over in 1434 and for the next century and a half it was a favorite residence of French royalty. However by the 17th century the downfall began, the castle was abandoned, then used as a prison and was almost destroyed during the French Revolution.
The exterior of the chateau from the numerous vantage points around the castle is truly exciting.
Amboise Chateau Facade
View from Garconnet Tower Amboise Chateau
View of River Loire from Minimes Tower of the castle
Tips to Visit Chateau d Amboise
Spring is the best time to visit and witness the absolute grandeur of the castle gardens.
You can time your visit during summers to witness the historical light show La Prophétie d’Amboise, directed by awarded-director Damien Fontaine. The show is held in the gardens and walls of the royal chateau with dramatic illumination and sounds of shots of harquebuses and sword fights!
Amboise Castle Interior
We got the audio guide along with the tickets. That helped us understand the collections in the different rooms like Guard’s Room, the Grand Council Chamber, the Drummer’s Room, the Study, and bedrooms and apartments where many a king spent the night. Walls are adorned with number of paintings of French Royalty and stunning tapestries. Colorful Renaissance and Gothic furniture stopped us on our tracks.
King Henri II ‘s room Amboise Castle
King Henri II ‘s room interior Amboise Castle
King Henri II ‘s bed Amboise Castle
Tickets and Timings Chateau d’Amboise
Open year round except closed on Christmas and New Years Day. Peak season hours are 9 am to 7 pm. Off peak hours differ by month.
Admission Fee with Histopad (a new way of immersing visitors into their surroundings which is interactive, educational and fun)
Adult – 13.30 euro, Student – 11.50 euro, Child (7-18) – 9.10 euro, under age 7 free.
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Awesome…!!
trust you dig something, never imagined Da vinci could be buried in France
Thanks for the story behind this chapel. Beautiful landscaping, too. What a place!
Amazing architecture of that building! A fantastic post to read and see..
A fascinating post and wonderful photos. Thank you Indrani!
Great captures,interesting places!
Greetings from Poland 🙂
The chapel looks grand.
The chapel is very beautiful. I also enjoyed the landscapes and town.
Beautiful Pictures and a wonderful writeup. I guess I will be visiting this place during my next visit to France. Thank you.
Indrani, what a lovely place to visit. It is neat seeing Da Vinci's tomb. Thanks for sharing the info and your lovely photos. Have a happy weekend!
Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of information about Da Vinci. The pictures are, without any doubt, beautiful!
Nice post, and perfect for SkyWatch!
Surprisingly a small and simple chapelle -thanks for sharing! I still have to get the hang of this google circle thing, so I may have missed several comments/likes:)
Liked tht tidbt abt DaVinci
Lovely pictures and great narration!
Thank you Indrani:)
nice shots. Chapel is a great one and I think inside of chapel is more artistic
Amazing place and such lovely shots!
Beautiful images taken at the chapel. I would love to visit this place someday. Happy Sky Watch!
The place looks right out of a picture postcard.. and i love the blog template as well :))
Wonderful photos, even with the cloudy skies. We would have loved to visit Amboise, but only saw it from a distance as we passed by en route to Chenonceau and Chambord. My Skywatch post
Oh my gosh…gorgeous
Hugs
SueAnn
This is a marvelous chapel — the steeple and adornments are very elegant. I had not realized that Leonardo da Vinci was buried in France.
I am jealous! These place is beautiful!
Kim,USA
What an awesome little church! I, too, love the steeple! Terrific captures as always, Indrani! Interesting info regarding da Vinci. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
wow! that steeple is amazing!