The Loire Valley's da Vinci abode

Chateau Du Clos Luce was the first and last home Leonardo da Vinci owned. Photo / P.K. Stowers

France's Loire Valley was the unlikely last home of an Italian Renaissance genius, writes P.K. Stowers.

It is a chilly spring morning in the Loire Valley when our small group visits Chateau Du Clos Luce and the Leonardo da Vinci Park that surrounds it.

Having read and heard so much about the man, considered one of the pre-eminent artistic, creative and inventive minds in human history, a moment's quiet reflection on his many achievements is needed before we lose ourselves in the house and grounds.

Many in our group are surprised to learn that Leonardo - a man so tied to the Italian Renaissance - actually died and is buried in France. According to historians, at the age of 64 and at the invitation of the French King Francis I, Leonardo crossed the Alps by mule with two fellow artists and a servant in 1516.

He brought very little with him, but within his leather saddlebags were three paintings; his depictions of St John the Baptist, the Virgin and Child with St Anne, and a painting of a Florentine lady now known as the Mona Lisa.

Once in France, he settled at the Chateau du Clos Luce at Amboise in the Loire Valley. The chateau was given to Leonardo by King Francis I and, surprisingly, it became the first home he had ever owned, as he had spent most of his life travelling. It was also his residence for the last three years of his life, until his death in 1519.

During his time there he was appointed "First Painter, Engineer and Architect to the King" by Francis I and the two enjoyed a great friendship. Protected and funded by the King, during his final three years he was free to dream and work on the hundreds of ideas and projects that interested him. However, it is told that he wept on his deathbed for having offended the Creator and the people of the world by not working enough on his art.

Today Chateau du Clos Luce and its accompanying grounds are considered historically significant sites and careful restoration work has been undertaken to try and show as closely as possible how the property would have looked in the 16th century.

Starting in the 1960s, the restoration work took over 30 years and was overseen by the French Historic Monuments administration. As we tour the chateau, our guide shows us some areas hidden behind curtains where new work is under way - largely to undo damage done to the original structure from 18th-century additions.

Despite the fact that various interesting royal and military figures have owned and lived in the chateau since, it now stands as a monument to the life and works of the great Tuscan artist. It currently houses around 100 facsimiles of his work (including a 17th-century reproduction of the Mona Lisa) and 20 original pieces.

Wrapped in scarves and hats, our group also discovers a number of larger-than-life recreations of some of his more famous inventions (his tank, paddle boat, adjustable cannon and Archimedes screw), giving people a more detailed look at what his designs would look like once made.

After exploring the extensive park, it is just a short walk up the road to visit Leonardo's tomb.

He is buried in the small but ornate Chapel of St Hubert, located on the grounds of Amboise's Chateau Royal. The chapel was dedicated to the patron saint of hunting and was completed in the reign of Charles VIII. It was originally reserved for the royal family's use. The architectural style is noticeably gothic (perhaps not the best choice for the Renaissance's leading creative mind), but the chapel is beautiful. Both inside and out, it features intricately carved limestone friezes depicting animals and plants.

It was also, by all accounts, Leonardo's personal request to be buried at Chateau Royal, and thus it is hard to think of a better place for his final resting place, which is marked by a simple metal plaque.

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Low cost airline AirAsia has four flights a week from Christchurch to Kuala Lumpur and then to Paris. AirAsia has recently introduced "lie-flight" beds for Premium Economy travellers.

Amboise is a 15-minute drive from the city of Tours which is an 80-minute train ride to Paris.

Further information: To find out about tour packages for the Loire and other regions of France contact Tempo Holidays, a division of Cox and Kings.

For more on the Chateau du Clos Luce, see vinci-closluce.com.

P.K. Stowers travelled to France with assistance from Tempo Holidays and AirAsia X.