Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the Renaissance. This “universal man” was far ahead of his time with his ingenious creativity, discoveries, and research. The master left behind many unsolved mysteries, including the place of his burial. Da Vinci did not die in Italy, as many believe, but in France. However, many scientists are still debating whose remains are actually buried under a granite slab bearing the name of the great master.
How did it happen?
After the death of Giuliano Medici, Leonardo da Vinci lost a powerful patron. When in 1516 he was invited by the French king Francis I to take the place of the court painter, the aged da Vinci without a drop of doubt agreed. At that time, France was actively involved in the Renaissance, so da Vinci expressed universal veneration. However, the artist was already 65 years old at that time. The master's strength left, the right hand went numb. He took paint in his hands less and less. Fate measured him to live in France for only a couple of years.
Clos Castle (Clos-Luce), place of death of Leonardo
According to legend, the French king Francis I was at da Vinci's deathbed when he departed to another world. In the castle of Clos (Clos-Luce), where the great master died, the room in which Leonardo da Vinci lived is now open to the public. The interior of the apartments differs from the general style of the castle, as historians have tried to reconstruct the interior in the Renaissance style to the smallest detail.
Renovated room of Leonardo da Vinci in the Château de Clou (Clos-Lusset) in Amboise. France
Church of Saint-Floraten, in the chapel of which Leonardo da Vinci was originally buried
Promotional video:
As a result of the prolonged Huguenot wars that took place in the second half of the 16th century, the Church of Saint-Floraten gradually collapsed. The poor took away the sarcophagi of the aristocrats, among whom was the grave of Leonardo da Vinci. They even took the lids of the coffins, dumping the remains of the dead in one heap
Chapel Saint-Hubert
In 1863, thanks to the vigor of the French critic Arsene Gousset, excavations were carried out on the site of the church. The found remains of the deceased were mixed, and the bones of Leonardo da Vinci were chosen at random. The critic Gusse was guided by a lifetime description of the artist's appearance - large stature, massive skull, high forehead. Next to the "suitable" remains were found stones with pretty worn letters INC. Then the researcher discovered slabs with the inscriptions LEO and DUS. Arsen Gusse was jubilant: the fragments formed into the name of the great master LEOnarDUS vINCius.
Tombstone of Leonardo da Vinci
In a Gothic chapel built into the sheer stone wall of the castle of Amboise, whose fortifications dominate the town of the same name, there is a tombstone with the name of Leonardo da Vinci. Therefore, many visitors to the Château Amboise mistake this graceful Gothic chapel, as if floating in the air, for the actual burial place of the great artist.
Granite slab and epitaph by Leonardo da Vinci in the Saint-Jube chapel