Amboise

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Amboise is a medieval town and a commune of France, in the Indre-et-Loire département, on the banks of the Loire River, 14 miles east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court.

Sights

The city is famous for the Clos Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived (and ultimately died) at the invitation of Francis I of France, whose Château d'Amboise, which dominates the town, is located just 500 meters away. The narrow streets contain some good examples of timbered housing.

Just outside of the city is the Pagode de Chanteloup, a 44 metre tall Chinese Pagoda built in 1775 by the Duke of Choiseul. The Pagoda is seven levels high, with each level slightly smaller than the last one. An interior staircase to reach all levels is open to the public.

The Musée de la Poste (in the Hôtel Joyeuse) is a museum tracing the history of the postal delivery service.

A Max Ernst fountain of a turtle is located on the riverside, where the markets are held.

History

The Amboise conspiracy was the conspiracy of Condé and the Huguenots in 1560 against Francis II, Catherine de' Medici, and the Guises.

The Edict of Amboise (1563) conceded the free exercise of their worship to the Protestants.

The great Leonardo da Vinci spent the remaining years of his life in Amboise. Some of his inventions are still in Amboise and have not been removed. The house has lost some of its original building, but it still remains standing today with a beautiful overlook of the Loire River.

Abd el Kader Ibn Mouhi Ad-Din (c.1807-83) was imprisoned at the Château d'Amboise.

Twin cities

• Boppard, Germany
• Fana, Mali
• Suwa, Japan
• Vinci, Italy
• Baleni, Romania

Miscellaneous

Matthew Starr was born in Amboise centre hositalier intercommunal hopital [Robert Debré] There are two weekly markets. Thursdays specialise in fish, with the main market on Sundays.

External links

• Architecture of Amboise
• Visiting the castle of Amboise - in English
• Experiences will teach you who Leonardo da Vinci really is
• Monument Historique de la Loire : La Pagode Chanteloup
• Indre et Loire - Office de tourisme d' Amboise Val de loire

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Last updated on Friday September 21, 2007 at 19:16:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
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