Our great historical portraits
Amboise, a land of illustrious people
A royal residence since the 15th century, Amboise has seen a host of illustrious figures pass through its doors. From François 1er to Léonard de Vinci and the Duc de Choiseul, each has left a lasting imprint in stone or in the spirit of the Amboise Valley.
François 1st
Born in Cognac but raised in Amboise, François spent his childhood between the Château Royal d’Amboise and the Château du Clos Lucé. After becoming King of France in 1515, he naturally invited Leonardo da Vinci to live in Amboise, where the two men shared an almost filial friendship. A great builder and art lover, he was responsible for many of the châteaux in the Loire Valley.
Leonardo da Vinci
In 1516, the brilliant artist crossed the Alps by mule to settle at Château du Clos Lucé. For the next three years, he worked for King François 1er, organizing extraordinary feasts to entertain the court and indulging his passion for architecture and engineering. He died on May 2, 1519 in his room at Château du Clos Lucé, and is buried today in the Saint-Hubert chapel at Château Royal d’Amboise.
Charles VIII
Born in Amboise in 1470, Charles VIII became King at the age of 13 and reigned from the Château Royal d’Amboise. Married to the beautiful Anne de Bretagne, he was the first French sovereign to wage war in Italy, from where he returned overwhelmed by the beauty of the local architecture. He was the driving force behind the transformation of the first Renaissance castles in France. He died suddenly in April 1498, having accidentally struck the lintel of one of the château’s doors.
Francis Poulenc
One of the greatest French composers of the early 20th century. Born in Paris, he acquired the Domaine du Grand Coteau in Noizay in 1927. In the peace and quiet of this beautiful residence set against the backdrop of the Vouvray vineyards, he worked and composed in peace and quiet. He also welcomed friends such as Colette, Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso.
Duke of Choiseul
Prime Minister to King Louis XV, he was exiled to his Amboise estate in 1771. He built a gigantic palace on his Chanteloup estate, at the center of which stands the famous Pagode de Chanteloup. This emblematic monument of the Amboise landscape is one of the few remaining vestiges of Choiseul’s stay in the Loire Valley.
Dom Pacello de Mercoliano
There is no known portrait of this Neapolitan monk, considered the greatest master gardener of the Renaissance. Settled at the Domaine Royal de Château Gaillard, he designed avant-garde gardens where Neapolitan species were perfectly acclimatized to the Loire climate. He was also responsible for the magnificent Naples gardens at Château Royal d’Amboise.
