Editing Clos Lucé (section)

=== The Middle-Ages and the Renaissance period ===
The house was built by Hugues d'Amboise on a Gallo-Roman foundation. It was organized around an octagonal tower, within which a spiral staircase stood. Around the spiral staircase were two buildings that had two floors each. The elegant facade made with pink bricks and whites stones was typical of the 15th century. Formally called Château de Cloux, the building was property of the [[Château d'Amboise|Chateau D’Amboise]], and the lands of Lucé were annexed to the castle from the 14th century. At the time, the manor was surrounded by fortifications; only one still remains, the watchtower.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloischambord.co.uk/on-the-agenda/heritage/our-loire-valley-chateaux/chateau-du-clos-luce-parc-leonardo-da-vinci-250333|title = Château du Clos Lucé – Parc Leonardo da Vinci - Castle - Amboise}}</ref>
[[File:Clos Lucé castle - Entrance 2.jpg|left|thumb|286x286px|Walls made of [[tuffeau stone]] typical from the 15th century.]]
For a short time the building housed religious people of the abbaye of Moncé, as they resided in the building until 1471. The Clos Lucé was then sold on 26 May to Etienne le Loup, who was [[Louis XI of France|Louis XI]] Counselor and Amboise [[beadle]]. The building was in ruin when Etienne acquired the lands, he restored it giving it the famous visual aspect that we see today - a square tower with [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] windows that created a towering and well protected [[Medieval fortification|medieval fortress]].

====Ownership by royalty====

On the 2 July 1490, [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] bought the castle from Etienne Le Loup for 3500 golden ecus and transformed the medieval stronghold into a more comfortable and habitable home. He also built a chapel for his wife, [[Anne of Brittany]] who lived at the Clos-Lucé until she left for the royal castle of Blois. It became known as ‘the summer house’ for the French royalty for 200 years.

The oratory was a chapel of the Gothic movement made with chalk stones ([[Tuffeau stone|tuffeau]]) and decorated with murals painted by Leonardo's disciples: there is an ''Annunciation'', a ''Last Judgement'' and a final painting called ''Virgo Lucis'' above the door, which may have gave its name to the castle. The museum also includes a copy of the ''Mona Lisa'', painted in 1654 by [[Ambroise Dubois]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/leonardo-da-vinci-and-france-ch%C3%A2teau-du-clos-luc%C3%A9/cgIShU_1pPuSIg?hl=en|title = Leonardo da Vinci and France - Castle of Clos Lucé}}</ref>

Between 1509 and 1515 the Castle housed [[Charles IV, Duke of Alençon|Charles IV Duke of Alençon]] and [[Margaret of Valois|Marguerite of Valois]]. The duke then sold the castle to [[Louise of Savoy]], [[Regent]] of France, who took up residence and raised her two children the Duke of Angoulême who was destined to become the next king of France, [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] and [[Marguerite de Navarre]], intellectual and writer of the ''[[Heptaméron]]''.