Magnificent chateaux abound in France's Loire Valley: the Chateau of Villandry with its extensive and unique gardens; the chateau at Chinon where Joan of Arc first met the Dauphin prior to his coronation in Reims Cathedral; the chateau at Usse on which the castle in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty is based, and, of course, Fontainbleau where Napoleon signed his abdication.
However, it is the small Chateau du ClosLuce, near Amboise, that evokes the fondest memories of my recent trip. For, unlike the more imposing chateaux of the region, ClosLuce hides rather than flaunts its attractions. It was this reclusive quality that endeared the place to King Charles VIII who acquired it in the 15th century for 3,500 golden crowns, and used it as a refuge from the Court of the Chateau d'Amboise nearby. And although the building, now restored, has become a public museum, it still retains the air of peace and serenity that first brought it to the attention of the King of France.
Sanctuary
But it is not just its air of seclusion that attracts the present-day visitor. For ClosLuce became the home and sanctuary in which Leonardo da Vinci, painter, philosopher, inventor and leading genius of the Italian Renaissance, spent the last years of his life. And it was here he found the space and peace to dream and rest and work on the countless objects of his passionate enthusiasm. Invited in 1516 by Francois I to settle in the chateau, he willingly accepted and was granted a fixed pension of 700 golden crowns per year. Nothing was asked in return but the pleasure of his conversation. However, it would be wrong to regard ClosLuce merely as Leonardo's retirement home. For it was here that he completed the painting of St John the Baptist. This painting, along with the artist's other two favourites, the "real-life portrait of a Florentine lady" (the Mona Lisa) and St Anne, had travelled with him from Rome on the back of a mule. It was here also that Leonardo prepared the drawings of a model chateau for the king with a telephone system, a water avenue, landing stage and self-closing doors. He also produced spectacular displays for court festivities and it is the address at Amboise that appears on the many manuscripts dating from 1517 collated in the Codex Atlanticus. Many of the artist's military, naval, hydraulic, mechanical and aeronautical inventions also date from this period. They have been constructed from plans by IBM and are on display in the museum, showing Leonardo to have been four centuries ahead of his time in his conception of the armoured car and helicopter.
Reminders
A tour of the chateau, which is open to the public all year round, reveals many reminders of the painter's occupancy. The watchtower, for example, which in mediaeval times was used to keep the people of Amboise or other intruders at bay, became in Leonardo's time a gallery or Italian-type loggia where the court of Francois used to sit to view the festivities arranged for them by the artist. The large reception room where the painter welcomed and entertained his friend and patron and the many artists who came to visit him can also be viewed. The Gothic chairs, chests and tapestries which were part of the original furnishings of the chateau are intact as well as the wooden chests from the 16th century where clothes were stored before the introduction of wardrobes. The kitchen, too, had an acknowledged importance in Leonardo's life. Here his cook, Mathurine, was in charge, and here in front of the monumental fireplace the painter warmed himself on winter evenings.
Other eras
Although Clos-Luce is now most famous because of its Leonardo da Vinci connection and the testimony it bears to his personality and genius, other eras have also left their mark. The oratory, for example, was built by King Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century for his wife, Anne of Brittany.
The chateau also bears the marks of its 18th century history, by which time it had passed into the possession of the Amboise family. The building was reputedly saved from pillage during the Revolution when Henri-Michel d'Amboise cleverly invoked the Rights of Man enshrined in the new Constitution. What was once Leonardo's studio was converted into an elegantly furnished 18th century lounge with an ensemble of giltwood and marquetry furniture from Chanteloup, the residence of Louis XV's minister. There are Venetian chandeliers, Aubusson tapestries and Louis XV chairs illustrated with the fables of La Fontaine as well as a display of fine 18th century French porcelain and chinaware. On May 2nd 1519, Leonardo died at the age of 67. His belief was that "no being disappears into the void". The memory of his many achievements and his happy last years lives on at Clos-Luce.