We visit Chateau du Clos Lucé where da Vinci spent his last years

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Today we drove a short distance to Chateau du Clos Lucé. This chateau was offered to Leonardo da Vinci as a ‘home’ by King Francois I. Da Vinci moved across the Alps in 1516, bringing with him several of his disciples, three of his favourite paintings and a number of manuscripts. The paintings were the Mona Lisa, the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and the unfinished St John the Baptist. He remained at Chateau du Clos Lucé until his death in 1519. During his time here, da Vinci worked as an engineer, architect and producer, organising incredible functions for the court. Today the Chateau was alive with hundreds of people. We were able to make our way through the main part of the building including da Vinci’s workrooms. The number and variety of his inventions was quite remarkable. The extensive gardens were also a backdrop to working models of many of his inventions. Da Vinci was certainly a man well head of his times. Having seen through the Chateau du Clos Lucé, his paintings almost take a back seat compared to his incredible inventions. It’s been hard to choose a photo but this shows one of his inventions which involves a machine-gun type weapon which simultaneously shoots in a range of directions.