Index of Article
Valle della Loira, events for the Year of Leonardo da Vinci
Which journalist would not like to interview Leonardo da Vinci? On the 500th anniversary of the death of the Tuscan genius, to imagine an interview with Leonardo tried Massimiliano Finazzer Flory with the film "Essere Leonardo da Vinci", made in collaboration with Rai Cinema and Atout France.
The cinema of the homonymous theatrical show on stage for several seasons, the plot tells of the "scoop" of two contemporary journalists who after various researches meet Leonardo in the castle of Clos Lucé, his last abode in the Loire Valley.
It is in fact at the court of Francis I who spent the last years of life, in the period that marks the beginning of the French Renaissance. The French celebrations for 500 years after the death of Leonardo da Vinci with the exhibition "La mort de Léonard de Vinci: the construction of a mythe", which through paintings and engravings illustrates the strong bond of friendship that read Leonardo and King Francis I.
The exhibition is only the first of a busy calendar of events that throughout 2019 will allow visitors to dive into the most authentic spirit of the Renaissance. 
Art de Vivre in the Castles of the Loire
From June 14th to December 31st at the Château de Chambord you can immerse yourself in the true Renaissance atmosphere thanks to the redevelopment and restoration of the interior areas followed by Jacques Garcia. The architect and interior designer recreated the authentic atmosphere that characterized the interior of the castle at the time of Francis I.
On June 22, around the castle of Villebon, between Renaissance music, reading poetry of time and costumes of time, you will be able to participate in a real banquet in which every detail will allow to relive the most authentic spirit of the feasts of the time. Same day, another banquet: at the Royal Castle of Amboise, you can enjoy true Renaissance dishes prepared by chef Sieur Sausin and attend typical music, theatre and play games. 
Music at the court of France!
Passionate about art, music and dance, King Francis I loved to have fun and invite to court the best singers and musicians of France. This is why even today, during these celebrations, music lovers will have to have fun: the program of events full of occasions where it will be possible to immerse themselves in its and in the unmistakable rhythms that have characterized a unique era also in the musical profile.
From 31 May to 2 June the Florilège Vocal of Tours gathers choirs from all over the world for an international singing competition: in the program there is a section of sacred or profane works composed between 1400 and 1600.
On the occasion, the public will be able to attend free concerts at the Opera di Tours and Place de la Résistance, to participate in workshops (for adults and children) where to learn to sing in polyphony on Renaissance songs and to attend an interesting round table that will bring together French and Italian musicologists and musicians, who will introduce to the general public the rich musical exchanges between France and Italy at the time of Leonardo da Vinci.
From June 7th to July 20th, at the Vincennes Castle, the ensemble Doulce Mémoire will stage a split of daily life at the court of France in the 16th century through a faithful musical repertoire. The same music group will also be engaged in Amboise from June 20th to July 23rd: you can see one of the typical Magnificences, the court parties organized by Francesco I with the best artists of his time. Music, singing, dancing and costumes: nothing will be left to chance. 
On June 22, everyone in Noirlac, for a concert on the banks of the Loire: the sound atmosphere naturally created by the river – and wisely captured by musician Boris Jollivet, specialized in sounds of nature – will echo the famous works sung by the Ensemble Jacques Moderne. This multifaceted dialogue between instrumental and digital music, history and future, nature and culture, will reveal to the public a way of understanding music totally new.
From June 29 to September 7, the architecture of the National Gallery of Tours will finally be the background for an artistic composition made of sounds and lights, which will project visitors in the heart of the Renaissance to discover the many stories that this era can still tell us.
Discover timeless landscapes
Visiting the Loire valley also means immersing yourself in a landscape of rare beauty. Lovers of outdoor life can also celebrate Leonardo’s time through events designed to appreciate landscapes, gardens and nature.
Until 31 October, for example, it is possible to participate in the cruises along the river Cher, tributary of the Loire: a romantic route between forests and vineyards, from which to admire the sumptuous Castello de Chenonceau and discover closely the operation of the ingenious system of dams and closed, partly invented by Leonardo da Vinci.
From the 25th of May, until the end of the year, it will be possible to admire the new landscape concept of the park of the Royal Castle of Blois (whose gardens, considered the first of the Renaissance, were created by Louis XII and Anna of Brittany): between contemporaneity and history, the project on several levels today offers an exceptional panoramic view of the old city and the Loire.
To be enchanted by the aristocratic charm of the night, the appointments are two: at Chaumont-sur-Loire and the castle of Villandry. In the first case, during all the evenings of July and August, the Chaumont-sur-Loire Gardens International Festival will enchant visitors with games of lights, colors and reflections made by experienced lighting engineers. The gardens will turn into a mysterious and enchanted landscape, giving rise to unusual glimpses with an unusual and rarefied look, where the movements of giant shadows and fleble reflections, will lead the viewer's imagination towards new dimensions.
