The Events

« Two days ago, on Sunday, the Christian king gave a feast, a most admirable celebration, which I describe to you as follows. The place was named Le Cloux, big and beautiful palace. […] There must have been four hundred chandeliers so bright you’d think night was chased away »
Letter by Galeazzo Visconti, Ambassador of Mantoue at the court of France, describing the Festa del paradise organised by Leonardo da Vinci in the gardens of the Clos Lucé on Juni 1518 to thank the king of his good deeds. »

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
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
"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.
- 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:

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).
Permanent exhibitions

« The desire to know is natural to good men. »
Leonardo da Vinci