Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The royal castle of Amboise, located on a rocky spur overlooking the Loire, was occupied from the prehistory and developed as Gallic oppidum then Roman city. In the fifth century, Clovis I met Alaric II before the Battle of Vouillé. In the ninth century, after Norman looting, the castelum was fortified by Ingelger, ancestor of the lords of Amboise, under the authority of the Carolingian kings. From the 12th century onwards, the Amboise family took full control, making the castle a major fortress in western France.

In 1434, the castle was confiscated by Charles VII after a plot and entered the royal domain. Louis XI installed his son, the future Charles VIII, who made him his favourite residence. The latter undertook important work between 1492 and 1498, adding the chapel Saint-Hubert, a flamboyant Gothic wing, and cavalry towers. Charles VIII accidentally died at the castle in 1498. Louis XII, his successor, built a Renaissance wing and raised his children there, including François I, who later invited Leonardo da Vinci.

Under François I, the court still resides in Amboise, but the king gradually favors other castles like Chambord or Fontainebleau. Henry II added buildings, while the castle became the theatre of the conjuration of Amboise in 1560, prelude to the wars of Religion. Starting with Henry III, royal stays become scarce. The castle is transformed into a state prison under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, welcoming illustrious prisoners such as Fouquet or Lauzun.

After the Revolution, much of the castle was destroyed under Napoleon I, who offered it to Roger Ducos. Louis-Philippe inherited and partially restored the Louis XII wing. In 1848 Abd al-Kader was imprisoned there before being released by Napoleon III. The castle was listed as a historic monument in 1840. In the 19th century, the Orléans family undertook restorations, and in 1974 it was entrusted to the Saint-Louis Foundation.

The architecture of the castle combines flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles. The chapel of Saint-Hubert, built by Charles VIII, houses the presumed remains of Leonardo da Vinci. The cavalry towers, equipped with helical ramps, allowed access of the carriages to the terraces. The gardens, including a Renaissance terrace designed by Pacello da Mercogliano, complete this major historical set of Loire castles.

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