Amboise Castle and leonardo's tomb
A royal castle suspended above the Loire, a restored flamboyant chapel and a tomb which requires an essential nuance: it houses the presumed remains by Leonardo da Vinci.
What do we really see in Amboise?
The castle, the Saint-Hubert chapel and the tomb
The ticket gives access to the royal residence, the horse towers, the panoramic gardens and the saint-hubert chapel, where Leonardo's funerary slab is located today. Le Clos Lucé, his home from 1516 to 1519, is a separate site located about a fifteen-minute walk away.
You won't see a collection of original Leonardo paintings in the castle. The visit is especially worth the place, the history of the court of Francis I and the funerary memory of the artist.
Full price adult. Student €14.40, child 7 -18 years old €11, under 7 years old free.
Add two to three hours if you combine the castle with Clos Lucé.
Tour tablet in twelve languages included in the ticket.
Amboise train station is about a ten-minute walk from the entrance.
Closed January 1 and December 25; schedules vary depending on the season.
Five centuries that change the castle
Amboise is not a setting that has remained intact since the Renaissance. Much of the palace has disappeared: what we visit today represents about a fifth of the whole at its peak.
Charles VIII builds
The king transformed the medieval fortress into a residence and built the Saint-Hubert chapel, a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic.
Leonard arrives
Invited by François I, he crossed the Alps with Francesco Melzi and settled at the Cloux manor, today's Clos Lucé.
Death and burial
Leonardo died on May 2 and was buried in the Saint-Florentin collegiate church, then located within the castle grounds.
Destruction then excavations
Saint-Florentin was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. Suspected bones of Leonardo were found during excavations in 1863.
The restored chapel
A thorough restoration of the stone and approximately two hundred carved elements precedes the June 2024 reopening.
Why did Leonardo end his life in Amboise?
At more than sixty years old, Leonardo left an Italy where his protectors changed and where major projects became rarer for him. Francis I offered him a prestigious status as "the king's first painter, engineer and architect", a pension and a residence close to the court.
At Clos Lucé, the artist brings his manuscripts and several paintings which he probably continues to work on. He advises the king, imagines festivals and hydraulic or architectural projects. There Paradise Festival from 1518 testifies to his role as director of the court.
Leonardo died at Clos Lucé on May 2, 1519, at the age of 67. The image of François I collecting his last breath, popularized by painters of the 18th and 19th centuries, is a legendary construction: the king was probably in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Is the tomb authentic?
The will dictated on April 23, 1519 requires burial in the Saint-Florentin collegiate church of the castle. After his death, a funeral procession accompanied by poor people and religious led the body towards this church.
Saint-Florentin was abandoned then destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1863, excavations carried out on its location uncovered bones associated with fragments of inscription and clues dating from the reign of François I. Arsène Houssaye attributes them to Leonardo.
These remains are then transferred to the Saint-Hubert chapel. The identification is plausible, but it has not been established by modern scientific analysis. We must therefore talk about presumed remains of Leonardo da Vinci, not absolute certainty.
Tiny architecture, abundant sculpture
Built for Charles VIII and used as an oratory by Anne of Brittany, the chapel concentrates pinnacles, kale, animals and holy figures in a very fine stone facade.
Visit the castle in the correct order
The best route alternates architecture, history and landscape views. Keep the chapel for a quiet time, before or after the midday crowds.
Go up to the terraces
Start by understanding the strategic position of the promontory above the Loire and the mass of missing buildings.
Enter the house
Cross the Council Chamber, the royal apartments and the spaces remodeled in the 19th century under Louis-Philippe.
Read the gardens
The terraces combine panorama, Italian memory and contemporary garden. They offer the best views of the city and the river.
Finish in Saint-Hubert
Look first at the carved portal, then at the vault and finally at the tomb. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes so as not to reduce the place to a photo.
The rooms, the towers and the Loire
The large Council room retains a forest of pillars and vaults which gives the scale of royal receptions. The apartments combine Renaissance evocation and 19th century strata, when Louis-Philippe had the estate redeveloped.
The Minimes and Heurtault towers are designed with large helical ramps allowing horses and vehicles to reach the terraces. They explain better than any plan the relationship between the lower town and the palace.
Another memory runs through the castle: that of Emir Abd el-Kader, detained in Amboise with his retinue from 1848 to 1852. Its history avoids reducing the monument to the Renaissance alone.
Tickets, timetables and access
Hours change several times a year. The published time corresponds to the closing of the ticket office; the estate closes approximately forty-five minutes later.
| Period | Indicative times 2026 | Counseling |
|---|---|---|
| Mars | 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m | Good time to visit with less crowds. |
| April | 9 a.m. - 6 p.m | The gardens are regaining color; provide a windproof layer on the terraces. |
| May -June | 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m | Excellent balance between light, gardens and opening time. |
| July-august | 9 a.m. - 7 p.m | Book online and arrive at opening or after 4 p.m. |
| September | 9 a.m. - 6 p.m | Soft light and often more comfortable attendance. |
| October | 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m | Check sunset time to enjoy the panorama. |
| November February | Reduced hours or midday break depending on the dates | It is essential to consult the official calendar before departure. |
Come to Amboise
- Address: Rise of Emir Abd El Kader, 37400 Amboise.
- Train: amboise station about ten minutes walk; connections from Tours, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Orléans and Paris-Austerlitz.
- Car: free parking at Les Tanneurs approximately 200 m away and at Le Marché approximately 300 m away.
- PMR: dedicated vehicle access at the end of rue Augustin-Thierry; arrival recommended at least one hour before the ticket office closes.
Book and organize
The 2026 adult ticket is priced at €17.30. The Histopad is included. Combined tickets with Clos Lucé or Chenonceau are offered online. The café operates daily in July and August; the rest of the year, the offer may be limited.
The castle is open all year round except January 1 and December 25. As hours may change for an event or construction site, always check the day before.
Official prices and ticketingFour frequent confusions
Leonardo's fame attracts stories that are too simple. These four corrections make the visit more interesting, no less romantic.
Francis I was at his bedside
No contemporary document confirms this; the king was probably elsewhere. The scene becomes famous thanks to historical paintings.
Grave's not original location
Leonardo is first buried in Saint-Florentin. The Saint-Hubert chapel later received the bones found in the 19th century.
The remains are presumed
Historical clues are serious, but no modern genetic expertise has transformed attribution into scientific certainty.
No secret tunnel open to the public
The link between Château and Clos Lucé is political, urban and biographical. The visit does not pass through an authenticated underground passage connecting the two residences.
The Leonardo da Vinci collection
The castle sheds light on Leonardo's last French years; his paintings tell the story of a lifetime of research. Find the hand-painted reproductions of The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Annunciation and Madonnas.
Explore the collectionVisit Amboise in eight answers
Where is Leonardo da Vinci's tomb located?
In the Saint-Hubert chapel, inside the estate of the royal castle of Amboise. The castle ticket gives access to the chapel.
Is Leonardo really buried in this tomb?
The tomb contains bones found in 1863 on the site of the Saint-Florentin collegiate church and attributed to Leonardo. It is rigorous to speak of his "suspected remains".
Are Amboise Castle and Clos Lucé the same place?
No. The castle is the royal residence and houses the tomb; Clos Lucé is the residence where Leonardo lived and died. They are separated by about fifteen minutes on foot.
How long does it take to visit the castle?
Allow 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for the house, gardens, towers and chapel. A whole day allows you to add Clos Lucé and the historic center.
Can we see original paintings by Leonardo at the castle?
No. The main Leonardoian interest of the castle is historical and funerary. His major works are kept at the Louvre, Milan, London, Florence, Krakow and elsewhere.
Is the Saint-Hubert chapel open?
Yes. After a restoration carried out from 2022 to 2024, it reopened to the public in June 2024. A one-off operation may, however, modify access.
Can we come by train from Paris?
Yes, usually via a Paris-Austerlitz train to Amboise or a connection at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps/Tours. Check SNCF timetables on the day of travel.
Is the site accessible to people with reduced mobility?
Specific vehicle access exists on rue Augustin-Thierry. The monument recommends arriving at least one hour before the ticket office closes; contact the castle to prepare for the visit.
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