Loire Valley: Château d’Amboise

The last château we visited in the Loire Valley was the elegant Château d’Amboise.

Set high on a rock overlooking the historic market town of Amboise on the banks of the River Loire, this former royal château is where Leonardo da Vinci was laid to rest.

The castle became a royal residence in 1434 when Charles VII took it from its then-owner Louis d’Amboise as punishment for plotting against Louis XI.

Much of the current building dates back to the late 15th century when Charles VIII had it rebuilt.

For the next 150 years or so, the château was a popular residence for the French royals and the famous names who’ve graced its halls include former French queens Mary, Queen of Scots, and Catherine de Medici.

On arriving at the château, we climbed the rock in the centre of the town to the entrance, where we bought our tickets and stepped inside.

There, within its protective walls, we found not only the château, but a sizable garden and Chapelle de Saint-Hubert where da Vinci, who lived in nearby Château du Clos Lucé, is buried.

We started our visit by looking around the château. There wasn’t a huge amount to see inside and I found it underwhelming, especially after the magnificent splendours of Chenonceau, Chambord and Chaumont-sur-Loire.

Some of the rooms were furnished, but many only had the bare minimum of furnishings, and there was so little to look at, it was a bit dull at times.

Our visit in 2019, coincided with the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death and there was an exhibition devoted to him and the myth that François I held the artist on his deathbed.

As far as exhibitions go, it was okay, but it wasn’t particularly riveting.

The best part of the château was getting to walk around the roof of one of the towers (above), where we were treated to superb views of the gardens and the Loire (below).

Having looked around the château, we headed back outside to explore the pretty, well-manicured gardens (below).

The gardens, while attractive, aren’t massive, so it didn’t take long to walk around them.

We finished our visit by taking a look inside the tiny, but beautiful Chapelle de Saint-Hubert (above).

The chapel is home to da Vinci’s grave and his tomb is marked by a small, simple marble slab (above).

By now we’d seen all there was to see in the château grounds, so we made our way back down to the town and spent some time wandering around Amboise.

The attractive market town isn’t very big, so it didn’t take long to look around the centre, but it was a charming place for a short walk.

We then ambled towards the Loire, where we set off for a stroll along the river bank (above).

With its sandy, grassy banks, it’s a pretty and idyllic stretch of the Loire, and was a great way to finish our day in Amboise.

Thanks to its strategic location high above the town, Château d’Amboise is an eye-catching castle, but despite its impressive royal pedigree, it doesn’t quite live up to its promise and good looks.

It didn’t have the same ‘wow’ factor as the other châteaux we’d visited in the Loire and the most interesting thing about it was da Vinci’s tomb.

Info

Château d’Amboise
chateau-amboise.com/en/