Amboise with its dominant renaissance style chateau is a town steeped in history. The town is incredibly charming but also a bit touristy because of its popularity with visitors to the Loire Valley. That said it is the ideal base for discovering  some of the other popular chateaux that lie to the east of  Tours including Chenonceau, Chaumont, Blois and Chambord.

The town itself still retains its medieval feel and has plenty of good restaurants and cafes to relax in and sample the local wines and produce of the area.

Started about 1107 by Hugues 1st Lord of Amboise, the church of St Denis in the town was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman monument and is worth a visit to view the beautiful interior.

On Fridays and Sundays, the town's outdoor riverside market which takes place behind Max Ernst's fascinating turtle fountain creation  is a feast of sights and smells.

The market on Friday mornings sells predominantly food and regional delicacies. The much larger Sunday market market takes place in the Place du Marchée beside the Loire river selling wines, cheese, meat, fruit and vegetables of the local area, along with clothes and locally-made pottery.It draws visitors from all over the region and feels more like a fair than a market.

The chateau was built on the foundations of an old fortress, its position perched high on a promontory over looking the Loire, offering a solid defence against any intruders. The chateau was seized by Charles VII in the mid 1400’s after its owner, Louise d’Amboise was involved in a plot against the monarchy. He was later to be pardoned but the chateau remained in the hands of the king.

In 1429 Joan of Arc passed through the town on her way to defeat the English at Orleans. In the late fifteenth century, following his marriage to Anne of Brittany at Langeais, Charles VIII decided to turn the old castle of his childhood days into a luxurious palace but,not long after the work was completed, Charles met his death here – not in the defence of his kingdom – but by banging his head on one of the many low doorways!

This is an interesting chateau, made more so by the excellent views over the town and the Loire River.

     The history of the château was marked  by three famous ladies, all of whom has a different room named after them  : Joan of Arc, Anne of Brittany and Agnes Sorel, Charles VII's favourite mistress.

The history of Agnès Sorel would make a good plot for a soap opera. She was the first mistress of a French king to be officially recognized. She was, it is said, an extremely beautiful woman, as well as very intelligent. She wielded considerable influence over the king and his policies, which earned her a number of powerful enemies at court. She gave birth to three daughters - while pregnant with her fourth child, she joined Charles VII on a campaign against the English in 1450 in Normandy. Shortly afterwards, she fell ill and died (aged 28). A lot of people believed she had been poisoned because of her sudden death and because of her numerous enemies. In 2005 French forensic scientist Philippe Charlier examined her remains and determined that the cause of death was mercury poisoning, but offered no opinion about whether she was murdered.

During the 15th and 16th centuries it became a favourite of the French kings as a place to house their wives and children while they sought the company of their mistresses elsewhere. King Henry II and his wife, Catherine de Medici lived here along with Mary Stuart the child queen of Scotland, who had been promised to the future king Francois II. These were to be the glory years at the chateau prior to its decline and loss of favour with the Royals.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the chateau was all but abandoned when the property passed into the hands of  the brother of the King Louis XIII. After his death it returned to the Crown and was turned into a state prison. It then suffered at the hands of the Revolutionaries and  Emperor Napoleon.

Its restoration inside and out was begun by King Louis-Philippe during his reign but with his abdication in 1848, the château was confiscated by the government. There was a setback with damage during the second world war but restoration continued and in 1974 the Saint-Louis Foundation took over its administration and continued its restoration programme.

Inside the chateau is sparsely furnished and like the outside, which is only about a fifth of its original size, as you pass through you have to use your imagination to conjure up visions of the royal court in residence.

A new tour for 2007 takes you through the underground passages and towers of the chateau. The chateau's spiral passageway allowed  both men and their horses to make the ascent/descent to the chateau.

During peak tourist season the chateau puts on a spectacular sound and light show with hundreds (yes hundreds) of local volunteers bringing their history to life in all its pageantry and splendour entitled 'At the court of Francois I' - you might not comprehend all that is going on but you’ll certainly enjoy the spectacle!

Francois I spent his childhood here at the chateau and when he succeeded to the throne, he lavished much of his social skills on Amboise.  He held frequent balls, feasts, tournaments and it was he who in 1516 invited Leonardo da Vinci to stay at the delightful 'Close-Luce', nearby with the promise of a pension, with the only requirement being that he devote some of his time to conversation and companionship. It is said that there is a secret tunnel from the chateau to the Manoir du Clos -Luce. Leonardo's remains now lie within the Chapel of Saint-Hubert within the grounds of the chateau.

A visit to the town would not be complete without a short walk down Rue Victor-Hugo to the Manoir du Close-Luce, past the troglodyte houses (complete with satellite dishes) cut into the limestone cliff face, to the enchanting house and gardens where Leonardo de Vinci spent his final years.