Currents, vortices, and engineer's visions: The Château du Clos Lucé unfolds, from June 6 to September 13, 2026, an immersive journey that delves into the bubbling mind of Leonardo da Vinci, eternal lover of water.
Currents, vortices, and engineer's visions: The Château du Clos Lucé unfolds, from June 6 to September 13, 2026, an immersive journey that delves into the bubbling mind of Leonardo da Vinci, eternal lover of water.
Looking for a cultural & outdoor pretext? Nestled in Amboise, the Clos Lucé opens its doors all summer for "Leonardo da Vinci, Master of Water".
A three-month interlude, amidst the old stones of the residence and the foliage of the park, to (re)discover the artist-engineer through his favorite element: water in all its forms.
The course stretches over 330 m², a space that almost resembles a vast sketchbook where original drawings, models, and interactive devices swirl around.
With one step, you move from a Renaissance manuscript to an immersive projection; with another, you brush past a reconstructed model of a pump or an Archimedean screw. Nothing is static, everything flows.
Highlight of the meeting: several pages from the Codex Atlanticus have left the Ambrosian Library in Milan.
These often tiny but incredibly precise pages bear witness to Leonardo's patience when he annotated currents, vortexes, and other liquid whims. Observing them closely is literally to dive into his bubbling brain.
The set designer has chosen to divide the tour into six sections. They cover: the symbolism of water, its role in painting, fluid mechanics, the way the element shapes landscapes, as well as technical applications, and finally, an immersive audiovisual experience.
The whole journey is navigated as if following the course of a river, with meanders, surprises, and striking viewpoints.
While we know the painter of the Mona Lisa, we sometimes forget the engineer. However, the exhibition reminds us: the Italian sketched canals, locks, mills, and hydraulic machines with the same passion as his portraits.
He already sensed that water could become energy, a tool for land development, and a source of innovation for human societies.
Here, a river landscape painted in brown ink; there, a canal sketch riddled with calculations. The hanging juxtaposes aesthetics and scientific research, proving that for Leonardo, beauty and utility were never mutually exclusive.
One almost leaves convinced that the poetry of a torrent and the precision of a diagram belong to the same family.
At the end of the journey, the lights dim and one enters an immersive room. Sounds of waves, shifting projections, whisper of waterfalls: the visitor becomes both a spectator and... somewhat of an explorer.
A gentle way to come full circle and to remind us that water, a universal resource, is always a matter of sensations.
Without ever being didactic, the exhibition resonates with our contemporary questions. Mastering and preserving water, a vital issue yesterday as it is today. Upon leaving, one finds oneself scrutinizing every little stream or fountain with a fresh eye, almost Leonardo-like.
- **Codex Atlanticus**: A vast collection of thousands of pages that brings together sketches, writings, and plans by Leonardo, compiled after his death.
- **Archimedes' Screw**: A spiral device used to lift water, in use since antiquity.
- **Hydrodynamics**: A branch of physics that studies the motion of liquids.
The tour is available from June 6 to September 13, 2026. For all information on schedules or to plan your getaway in the Loire, head to the official website of the chateau.
And why not extend the day with a stroll in the park, dotted with life-size reconstructions of Leonardo's inventions? A great way to let your imagination wander, with your feet (almost) in the water.
From room to room, "Leonardo da Vinci, Master of Water" reminds us that a free spirit can make waves... for five centuries.
So, this summer, set your course for Amboise: an artistic and scientific dive awaits you, without splashes but with plenty of wonder.
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