Château du Clos Lucé

The Château du Clos Lucé brings to life the Master’s botanical drawings, geological studies and landscapes. Spread out over a hectare, “Leonardo’s Garden”, a real outdoor museum, has been landscaped and planted in the spirit of the paintings and drawing of Leonardo da Vinci. Cross the two-level bridge created and designed by Leonardo, follow the botanical walk in his footsteps, enjoy the fast-flowing waterfalls and the mists that rise mysteriously from the lake. Canvases, thematic panels and sound posts all explain the link between Leonardo and nature – the nature that made him say: “Everything is there ”.

-More than 100 drawings and sketches of plants, flowers and landscapes found in his notebooks.
-Pioneering work in botany, geology and physics.
-The first to realise the sun’s role in plant growth.
-The first to conceive the idea of "geological time" and its role in the formation of the earth.
-The first to understand the mechanisms of the formation of currents and whirlpools.
-The first to explain the circulation of sounds and light through the study of waves.

The two-level bridge: following the ravages of the plague in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci had the idea that better circulation of people would improve the health of towns and cities. He devised this two-level bridge, for example, proposing two completely separate streams of traffic. Its “triangular” structure was very innovative: each diagonal crosspiece supports the next. This solid oak bridge was constructed full-size on two levels for the first time from Leonardo’s plans, using 80% of techniques from the period. The project required 1500 hours’ work and needed around a dozen Compagnons Charpentiers du Devoir (Members of the French Carpenters’ Guild). A rule for harmonious proportion, dear to the Master, was applied: the height of the rectangle is equal to the diagonal on the square of the base.