I used to be kinda judgy of things where I did not get the hype, but I have come to learn that as long as I can engage intellectually with something, I can get into it. Often, it’s just a matter of education for me to learn to appreciate things.

Even though I’ve long been a lover of museums and art, I’ve never quite gotten the hype around Leonardo da Vinci. But since I was going over to Europe and would be seeing his works, I picked up Walter Isaacson’s biography of the genius. This work was great. In addition to sensational biographical details, it included the art history and the techniques that defined da Vinci’s genius. By the time I got to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, I was enraptured, and spent an entire hour looking at the three works they had.

Da Vinci’s works are scattered across Europe, but I was able to see my share of him during November. And you can, too! Between France and Italy, you can see a lot of Da Vinci.

Proposed Itinerary – 8 days

This itinerary VERY roughly follows da Vinci’s life, from his youth in Florence to his death in Amboise, France. It can be done by flying into Rome, training around Europe, and then flying out of Paris.

Day 1 – Rome, Italy
Day 2 -Florence, Italy
Day 3 – Parma, Italy
Milan, Italy
Day 4 – Paris
Day 5 – Loire Valley, France
Day 7 – Paris, France

This is just a rough sketch. There is a lot of room for flexibility, as you will spend more time in each location than you need to spend in da Vinci’s footsteps.

Rome, Italy

Unfortunately, my time in Rome was cut short (thanks, Norwegian), resulting in the Vatican portion of my day getting cut. Hopefully, one day soon I’ll update this portion.

There is only one work of da Vinci’s in Rome: Saint Jerome in the Wilderness. You can find it in the Vatican Museum. It is unfinished, like many of da Vinci’s works.

You can also find copies of some of da Vinci’s lost works in Rome. Check out the Galleria Borghese for a copy of Leda and the Swan. This same museum has Madonna and the Child with St. Joseph.

Florence, Italy

Da Vinci started his training and his career in Florence. You can find three of his works in the Uffizi Gallery. I suggest strongly that you get tickets well in advance before you come. Even in November, the gallery was packed, and I was grateful to be able to skip the lines with my ticket purchased in advance.

The Uffizi holds three works that are described in detail in Isaacson’s biography: The Annunciation, The Baptism of Christ, and The Adoration of the Magi. The Gallery also holds other famous works, including Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. The gallery was incredibly crowded, and many folks would stand in line for ages to have their pictures taken with the work, or to just take a picture with the work. What I found, though, was that if you waited long enough, the bigger groups would move on, and there would be a lull where one could get in, and really soak in the art.

While you are in Florence, the other must-do is to climb to the top of the Duomo. This is another activity you need to buy a ticket for in advance. There is no way to get a ticket day-of. But well worth the planning, and the time you spend in line (yes! even with the ticket) to be able to do.

Parma, Italy

Parma is a short train-ride from Florence. You can stay in Florence for the night. Then, hop on the train first thing in the morning, and hop off at Parma.

Parma has La Scapagliata (“Woman with Disheveled Hair”) in its National Gallery.

You can stick around Parma, or you can get back on the train and advance to Milan

Milan, Italy

Da Vinci arrived in Milan in 1482 and stayed until 1499.

I have not done Milan (hoping to in the future! Stay tuned). So, like Parma and Rome, I can’t speak too much about time here. I can say that the Salla della Asse can be found at Sforzesco Castle. More importantly, you can see the Last Supper at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Loire Valley, France

Now, this! This I’ve got opinions on. Sure, you can do a day trip from Paris, see Chambord, Clos de Luce, and Amboise Chateaux and head back, but I loved, loved, loved staying in Amboise. I got a little AirBnB that was in a renovated garage, and was incredibly comfortable. I was close to the train station, and was able to walk through most anywhere I wanted in that town.

Chateau de Chambord

There isn’t a train that gets very close to Chambord, and when I was there in November, the busses for tourists weren’t running either. So, I went on one of those tourist trips, where they picked me up from Amboise and gave us 2 hours at Chambord and 1.5 hours at Cheverny.

I don’t recommend it. 2 hours in Chambord simply isn’t enough. I went through the rooms extremely quickly and didn’t even get a chance to see the gardens. I would recommend trying something — anything — where you have at least a half a day here. I will certainly come back again.

I did, however, get a chance to see the famous double-helix staircase designed by da Vinci, which is why this is a must-stop place to see his architectural work when you are in the Loire Valley.

Chateau Clos Lucé

In the Loire Valley, there are three places you want to make sure you see for da Vinci, all of them chateaux. The first is the Chateau Clos Lucé. This is the chateau that was given for da Vinci’s use when Francois I invited him to leave Italy for France. The place isn’t huge or extravagant, but it was straight-up fun. In addition to getting to see where and how da Vinci lived, the chateau is decked out with models of his inventions. You can touch them, play with them, and see how he envisioned them. I went to a LOT of chateau during the three days I was in the Loire, and this one felt the most alive of any of them. There were real fires crackling in the fireplaces, and fog was pumped into the lake (felt a bit like Disneyland to be honest), and there were holograms and audio recordings of theoretical conversations with da Vinci.

Chateau d’Amboise

From Clos Lucé, you can simply walk back towards the river to get to the Chateau d’Amboise. I really recommend taking a small detour and walking up to the top of the hill. You get a good view of the troglodyte homes, and at the top, there is an amazing view of the village.

The chateau is massive, and has massive walls holding up the castle. It is remarkably different from Clos Lucé, in that most of the rooms are bigger and empty. It also feels more like a fortress — what I generally think of as a ‘castle’ — as opposed to da Vinci’s home which felt like, well, a very large and luxurious home.

Across the courtyard from the main building is a little chapel which is supposedly da Vinci’s final resting place. When I was there, the light was coming through the stained glass windows at a perfect angle, lighting up the quaint space.

Paris

Your da Vinci stop in Paris is naturally the Louvre and the great masterpiece The Mona Lisa, or as the French call her, La Joconde. The Louvre also holds Virgin on the Rocks, La Belle Ferronière, Portait of Isabella d’Este, The Virgin and the Child with Saint Anne, and Saint John the Baptist. Plan for long lines to get into the Louvre, and a lot of pushing and shoving to get close the Mona Lisa. You won’t get much time with her, so enjoy it.

I have more thoughts on Paris (another time), but this is it for this theme. You can spend all day in the Louvre, but if it’s me, I get art fatigue after too many hours. I’d do it only for a half day, and then go do something radically different, like the Moulin Rouge, or the Catacombs.

Conclusion

Sometimes it’s hard to find a travel buddy for doing what you like to do, especially these kinds of things. I frequently travel solo, and if you’re putting off going to these kinds of places because you want someone to go with you — don’t! Take your solo time, read a book (or several), and enjoy these activities

Affiliate Links

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