Where is Leonardo da Vinci buried?
His tomb is in the Saint-Hubert chapel, inside the royal castle of Amboise. But its story begins elsewhere, in a collegiate church which has now disappeared.
A certain grave, presumed remains
The visitor today sees a funerary slab bearing the name of Leonardo da Vinci in the small Gothic chapel of Saint-Hubert. The place of memory is indisputable. The biological identification of bones has never benefited from modern scientific methods capable of providing absolute proof.
The documents establish that Leonardo wanted to rest in the Saint-Florentin church of the Château d'Amboise. After the destruction of this church at the beginning of the 19th centurye century, excavations carried out in 1863 discovered a skeleton accompanied by clues deemed compatible with the artist. These remains were placed in the Saint-Hubert chapel eleven years later.
From death to the current tomb
Leonardo dictates his will to notary Guillaume Boureau and asks to be buried in Saint-Florentin.
He died at the Manoir du Cloux, today Clos Lucé, at the age of 67.
Arsène Houssaye excavates the ruins of Saint-Florentin and attributes a skeleton to Leonardo.
The alleged bones are transferred to the Saint-Hubert chapel, where the current tomb is located.
The last days at Clos Lucé
Invited by Francis I, Leonardo settled in Amboise in 1516 with his disciple Francesco Melzi and his servant Battista de Vilanis. The king provided him with the Manoir du Cloux, located a few hundred meters from the royal castle, as well as a pension and the title of first painter, engineer and architect to the king.
Old and diminished in his right hand, Leonardo nevertheless continued to draw, think about hydraulics, town planning and court festivals. He kept several major paintings with him, including The Mona Lisa, Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist.
The romantic tradition represents Francis I collecting his last breath. The archives show, however, that the king was not in Amboise on the day of his death.
The Saint-Hubert chapel
Built at the end of the 15th centurye century for Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, the chapel is a small flamboyant Gothic building. Its facade, its pinnacles and its sculpted decoration contrast with the intimacy of the interior.
Leonardo's tomb is installed in the transept. The light slab, decorated with a medallion in profile and an inscription, is deliberately sober. It does not constitute the original tomb of 1519: it is a monument of memory linked to the transfer of the 19th centurye century.
St. Florentin, the disappeared church
The will is explicit: Leonardo wants to be carried by the chaplains and buried in the Saint-Florentin church in Amboise. This Romanesque collegiate church was located within the castle grounds, not far from the royal residence.
Degraded after the Revolution, it was demolished between 1806 and 1810. The original tomb disappeared with the building and the bones of the cemetery were scattered or forgotten. Today, a Carrara marble bust placed in the gardens approximately marks its location.
This distinction is essential: Saint-Florentin is the historic burial site of 1519; Saint-Hubert is the current place of conservation and commemoration.
Why are the bones attributed to Leonardo?
The right location
The skeleton was discovered in 1863 in the ruins of the collegiate church where the will requested burial.
Inscription fragments
A nearby stone bore fragments interpreted as the name Leonardo and a reference to Saint Luke, patron saint of painters.
Material clues
The stature of the skeleton and Italian and French coins from the beginning of the reign of Francis I reinforced the attribution of Arsène Houssaye.
How to see the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci?
Where is it located?
In the Saint-Hubert chapel, inside the estate of the royal castle of Amboise, in Indre-et-Loire. Access is with the castle ticket.
Address: rise of Emir Abd el-Kader, 37400 Amboise.
Which route to choose?
Start with Saint-Hubert, then locate the bust marking Saint-Florentin in the park, then reach Clos Lucé on foot to understand the artist's last days.
Times and prices may change: always check official website of the castle before moving.
Leonardo da Vinci in the store
Leonardo's tomb in six answers
In which city is Leonardo da Vinci buried?
In Amboise, in the Saint-Hubert chapel of the royal castle.
Did Leonardo always rest in this chapel?
No. He was first buried in 1519 in the Saint-Florentin collegiate church. The remains attributed to him were placed in Saint-Hubert in 1874.
Are we sure that the bones are his?
Burial in Saint-Florentin is documented, but the identification of the bones found in 1863 is based on ancient archaeological evidence. We are therefore talking about presumed remains.
Where did Leonardo da Vinci die?
At the Manoir du Cloux, today Château du Clos Lucé, May 2, 1519.
Was Francis I present when he died?
No. This famous scene belongs to legend and history painting; the king was then in Île-de-France.
Is the tomb accessible for free?
It is located within the grounds of the royal castle of Amboise and normally requires an entry ticket to the estate.
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