Event

The Magic of Christmas at Clos Lucé

From 1 to 31 December 2022

Come and enjoy the intoxicating scents of the Christmas tree and warm yourselves by the crackling log fires. Stroll through the castle and discover the floral decorations designed by Marjolaine Bougrier Vaucelles, or the paper compositions that decorate Marguerite de Navarre's room, with their veiled references to the author of The Heptameron. Don't forget to admire the Nativity scene in the chapel, with its 19 ^th century ornamental crib figures made by master artists.

Programme

27 December: Mini New (1h, in french)

We invite children to take part in the show, sharing their ideas or coming on stage to perform and sing. A pianist and a computer graphics artist create live music and drawings to accompany the three actor-singers who will bring to life, in performance and song, the stories imagined by the children. A unique spectacle, never to be repeated, takes shape with each performance. Adults in turn will be enchanted by all the subtleties that come from improvisation.

• 4.30pm in the Halle Muséographique in the grounds
• 4.5€ in addition to the entrance ticket (including children under 7)
• Online ticketing (here) or on site (subject to availability)

21, 28, 29 December: Carriage Rides around the Grounds (30 mins)

What better way to explore the five-hectare grounds than in a horse-drawn carriage? Accompanied by a Christmas Leonardo, you will discover the history of the estate, its various buildings and the artist's inventions. At the end of your ride, we offer you a hot chocolate or a glass of mulled wine.

• From 2pm to 6pm, every half an hour
• 3.5€ in addition to the entrance ticket (including children under 7)
• Online ticketing ( here) or on site (subject to availability)
  

From 17 to 24 December: Painting and Drawing Workshops (continuous)

Let your imagination run wild, painting and drawing on different media: candle holders, stars, Christmas baubles, greeting cards... Children can try out different techniques such as stained glass painting, watercolour painting or medieval calligraphy. They will take home their creations and labels with the names of their loved ones to place on parcels delivered by Father Christmas.

• From 11am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 3pm
• 3.5€ in addition to the entrance ticket (including children under 7)
• Online ticketing ( here) or on site (subject to availability)

From 26 to 31 December: Christmas Scent Workshops (30 mins)

After a session of guessing the names of the scents, accompanied by anecdotes on the history of perfumes and the role of the sense of smell, you will be able to create a Christmas scent as a group, by combining several fragrances of your choice. You will leave with a cardboard shape infused with this scent, to hang on your Christmas tree.

• 11am, 11.45am, 2pm, 2.45pm
• 3.5€ in addition to the entrance ticket (including children under 7)
• Online ticketing ( here) or on site (subject to availability)

From 18 to 29 December*: Renaissance Gastronomy Workshops (30 mins, in french)
Discover with Sieur Sausin, a chef specialising in historical cuisine, the art of the table in the 16 ^th century, before embarking on a journey full of flavours: from European vegetable gardens to the Mediterranean, from the Indies to the Americas. At the end of the workshop, you will be offered a biscuit with a glass of hot cinnamon milk or mulled wine.

• *Except 19, 25 and 26 December
• 3pm, 3.30pm, 4pm
• 3.5€ in addition to the entrance ticket (including children under 7)
• Online ticketing (coming soon) or on site (subject to availability)

From 19 to 23 and 26 to 30 December: Guided Tour with Mathurine (1h, in french)

Mathurine, Leonardo da Vinci's French cook, tells the story of the Italian master through a series of anecdotes. His talk will feature stories about Christmas traditions through the centuries.

• 11am, 2.15pm
• 4€ in addition to the entrance fee
• Bookings can be made at the Amboise Val de Loire Tourist Office on 02 47 57 09 28

New

Leonardo da Vinci, Painter and Architect Galleries

Since June 2021

LEONARDO DA VINCI PAINTER GALLERY

The 17 masterpieces produced by Leonardo da Vinci will be projected onto the walls and ceiling of the ground floor gallery thanks to digital technologies. Along with the preparatory drawings on show, they create an original and spectacular exhibition that visitors can engage directly with. This imaginary museum presents treasures from the Louvre in Paris, the Uffizi in Florence, the Vatican Museums, the National Gallery in London, the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the National Museum in Kraków, the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and immerses visitors into the Tuscan master’s painted works.

Faces, smiles and hands, perspective, the Last Supper, the blue horizons of the landscapes on his canvases all intertwine in this fascinating and lyrical circular journey through his artistic creativity.

LEONARDO DA VINCI ARCHITECT GALLERY

This exhibition offers a fun and educational tour of the achievements of Leonardo da Vinci the civil, religious and military architect, town planner and talented stage director of spectacular festivities. Facsimiles, drawings, life-size models, digital tables and 3D animation bring these disciplines to life.

In the multimedia room on the first floor, come and explore a 3D reconstruction of the Royal Palace of Romorantin designed by Leonardo da Vinci for King Francis I, through a video game created specially for the exhibition.

Where: in Leonardo da Vinci's park
Price: included with your admission ticket

To whet your appetite, watch our podcast and visit galleries from your own home! (in French).

Exhibition

Leonardo da Vinci and France

Le Château du Clos Lucé, the link between Italian and French Renaissance

Drawing on new scientific contributions, this exhibition throws light on the fascinating relationships between Leonardo da Vinci and three Kings of France over a 10-year period.

Guided through a series of richly illustrated themed exhibits — from royal commissions and feats of engineering to sumptuous festivities and final drawings, visitors will discover a multitude of projects built or conceived by the Italian master during his time spent living at Clos Lucé in Amboise.

• Halle Muséographique (In Leonardo da Vinci's park) : 10am - 6pm
• This exhibition has an additional charge to the general admission : 5€ adult / 3€ concessions (job seeker, large family...) / 1€ children (7-18 years old) and student / Free under 7 years old
• Tickets for a self-guided visit of the castle, the park, Leonardo da Vinci painter and architect galleries including Leonardo da Vinci and France exhibition are available here

The exhibition will be exceptionally closed on the following dates:
• Monday November 14 and Tuesday November 15
• Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 November
• From Monday, November 28 to January 6 included. Reopening on January 7th