Visit of the Leonardo da Vinci's Mansion - A travel into the past

Since I became a fan of Medieval Fantasy and Steampunk, my mind is more open to the desire for knowledge about the past history of our world, like the Middle Ages, 1900s, the Renaissance, etc .... well, today, I visited the final resting place of one of the greatest men of the past and whose name is still famous today: Leonardo da Vinci. The mansion is located at only 2 hours from my house, in the city of Amboise.

Le Clos Lucé, the manor of Leonard, at Amboise.

It is in 1516 that Leonardo da Vinci left Italy to come in France, away from those who wanted to harm him. Leonard was welcomed as a man of high rank, and got a gift, by the King of France himself, François 1er, a mansion near the castle, and took him under his protection. For three years, Leonard was able to live peacefully in this house, until May 2, 1519, where he lived the last moments of his life in his bed, died of a disease that was eating him since several months. He was 67 years old. He had the right to a grand funeral procession, and the rumor says that he is today buried in the castle of the city of Amboise.

The place where he passed away: his bed.

The visit was really interesting, and the interior of the Manor had been conserved as closely as possible. His bed room was the place of his death, and his bed is also stored in this room. When I visited this room and saw the bed, I felt strange, as torn between fascination and emotion, because I saw this bed, where 500 years ago, he passed away. I could also contemplate other parts, like the room or he kept his tools, plans of machinery and other inventions, his architectural drawings of great precision. Its dining room, lounge, his personal chapel where he was coming to pray, the basement, where are represented many inventions that he imagined. This man was a visionary, and deserved its status as "genius" because he was one. It was as if he could see into the future and draw very complex machines plans to launch as a kind of message to humanity. But no, he was just a very learned man, brimming with ideas and imagination, which had no limit. The mansion is not the only visit point, since you can also visit the large park just beside, where are now showed models of some of his most famous inventions.

And besides, it was a great philosopher. He seemed to know human nature better than many others, and some of his many quotes were rewritten and are now plastered on the walls of his mansion, and we can read them, to see how he was intelligent and had so much knowledge. But unfortunately, Leonardo had also a great intelligence for inventing war machines, he imaginated infernal machines, which could cause havoc in the enemy armies, as a tank with multiple canons and looked like a mobile fortress, or tanks rolling with blades on sides to slash the enemy soldiers during cavalry charges. Most of its arms were never realized because too complex, but it showed that Leonard da Vinci could also demonstrate himself as a genius for kill humans. 

The tank, as imagined by Leonardo Da Vinci

The helicopter, as imagined by Leonardo Da Vinci

But even if he had his defaults, as each of us, Leonardo da Vinci is remembered and respected as one of the greatest scientist that the world ever known. Mr Vinci, may you rest in peace wherever you are and I hope that wherever you are, you have a lot of curiosity and passion to see the modern machines of the 21st century, whose many of which were inspired by your works. 

Respect.

Mathias, the Killmaster

Fire and Blood \m/