Cluster 12: France: The King’s Father (1516–1519)
Leonardo life-system node from research dossier
Content Summary
At Clos Lucé, King Francis I treated Leonardo as a father. Here, he designed the "Ideal City" of Romorantin and the mechanical lion—an automaton capable of walking and presenting lilies.
Context Notes
Romorantin plans featured pedestrian-commercial separation and automated waste disposal via canal flush. His will entrusted 13,000 notebook pages to Francesco Melzi, preserving his intellectual legacy.
evidence notes
The Will of Leonardo (April 1519); Antonio de Beatis Diary (1517).
Research Question
Reconstruct the gear differential assembly of the mechanical lion.
Cross-Reference Mapping
Romorantin’s urban hygiene applied hydrology theories from the Codex Leicester.
Uncertainty Markers
Death at Clos Lucé; Status with King; Precise location of remains.