Leonardo da Vinci and biomimicry, drawing inspiration from living things

FROM 7 JUNE TO 10 SEPTEMBER 2025

Leonardo da Vinci observed nature throughout his life, extracting ideas and mechanisms that were reflected in his astonishingly modern drawings and projects. The exhibition highlights the artist's work alongside modern research into biomimicry, providing a better understanding of the fascinating impact of nature on innovation, from the Renaissance to the present day.

Faced with the current challenges of technological, environmental and societal transition, biomimicry proposes an alternative path: learning from nature rather than trying to dominate it.

This approach encourages us to reconsider our relationship with living things, no longer as a resource to be exploited but as an inexhaustible source of knowledge and sustainable technical solutions to be explored.

Highlights of the exhibition:

• Admire an original drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, an engraving of Albrecht Dürer's famous Rhinoceros, 2 magnificent dresses by Iris Van Herpen inspired by marine biomimicry...
• Explore the impact of biomimicry on a wide range of fields, from robotics to cosmetics, in 6 rooms.
• Be inspired by the work of the pioneers of biomimicry and today's researchers
• Discover several machines reproduced from the artist's drawings

Curated by:

• Pascal Brioist, Professor of Modern History at the University of Tours, member of the Centre d'études supérieures de la Renaissance.
• Andrea Bernardoni, researcher in the history of science and technology at the University of L'Aquila and collaborator with the Galileo Museum in Florence

Practical information:

In addition to admission: adults €5, concessions €3, children €1

• Online ticketing
• Discover the exhibition on video
• Read the press pack
• Read the press release

Find the english exhibition catalogue, which brings together contributions from thirteen specialists, academics, historians, engineers, biologists and architects in the Le Clos Lucé boutiques ( online and on site).

Theatrical Nights

11, 12 et 13 July 2025

The play in a few words

In the enchanting setting of Le Clos Lucé, the famous Mona Lisa finally speaks in a play by Laurent Ruquier.

"Mona Lisa Speaks at Last" is a captivating monologue performed by Karina Marimon, who appeared in La petite histoire de France. After five centuries of silence, Mona Lisa, brilliantly portrayed, breaks free of her frame and reveals her secrets, her history and her astonishing anecdotes.

From her creation by Leonardo da Vinci to her arrival in the Louvre, via her travels around the world, the Mona Lisa offers us a reflection as funny as it is intelligent on her life, her image and her celebrity. Rodolphe Sand's dynamic staging, a blend of humour and poetry, immerses you in the fascinating world of this masterpiece, inviting you to rediscover the icon in a new light.

Don't miss this unique moment under the stars of Le Clos Lucé!

Practical information

• Prices :
• Adults: €25
• Children (aged 7-18): €15
• Ambassador (in possession of a valid card): €20
• Children under 7: free of charge
  
  

Limited number of seats!
Watch the teaser of the play here and book your ticket by clicking here

Flâneries Nocturnes

9 & 10 August 2024, 5th edition

Le Clos Lucé invites you to relive the magic of the royal evenings of the Renaissance, when the château and its grounds are adorned with a thousand lights. In 2025, the château will welcome the Quebec dance company Marie Chouinard, who will present two emblematic works: Le Sacre du Printemps, with 12 dancers, and Lascia ch'io pianga, a spellbinding duet. These pieces, inspired by the research of Leonardo da Vinci, explore the movement of the body and its mechanisms, in a choreographic language that is both organic and exalted.

Gourmet delights

To extend the evening, foodtrucks offering local produce will be on hand, allowing visitors to enjoy dishes in a convivial atmosphere.

Practical information:

• Friday and Saturday, from 8.30 pm to 11.00 pm
• Prices: adults €20, children aged 7-18 €8, Ambassadeur card holders €16, under-7s free
• Online ticketing
• To find out more and book your pass giving you access to visit Le Clos Lucé during the day and the evening strolls, click here

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).