The Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco) is an
independent city-state in Western Europe.
In the Monegasque
dialect, a variety of Ligurian, it is called Prinçipatu de Mu̍negu.
Entirely surrounded by France, it overlooks the Ligurian Sea and is
about 10 km from the Italian-French border. It is one of the oldest
states in the world, as it has existed continuously since the end of the
thirteenth century; its origin is generally traced back to the
initiative of Francesco Grimaldi, a Genoese Guelph nobleman who
skillfully seized a castle built there, owned by a Ghibelline rival;
having accomplished this feat by entering the manor disguised as a monk,
the circumstance also gave its name to the lordship that arose from it
and which later became a state. As an independent sovereign state, it
was born only in 1815 following the Restoration. In fact, with the
Restoration, the Holy Roman Empire was not reconstituted, and so, most
of the reconstituted European states, which before 1806 were formally
part of the Empire, were actually founded ex novo, in the sense of
independent sovereign states.
Its capital and sole administrative
subdivision is the municipality of Monaco, which has 38,350 inhabitants.
With an area of 2.02 km², the Principality of Monaco is the penultimate
sovereign state in the world by extension: behind it only the Vatican
City with 0.44 km².
The form of state is a principality, i.e. a
constitutional monarchy whose sovereign has the title of prince: he also
has the functions of head of state, but the legislative power is
exercised by a unicameral parliament called the National Council,
elected by universal suffrage. Executive power is also exercised by the
Government Council, whose head, the Minister of State, is the head of
government of the country.
The head of state is Prince Albert II
(1958-), in office since 2005; Sovereign Consort is Princess Charlène,
born Wittstock and of South African descent. The Minister of State in
office is the Frenchman Pierre Dartout, in office since September 2020.
Although it has no administrative subdivisions of a lower grade than
the Municipality of Monaco, the best-known location in the Principality
is the historic district of Monte Carlo, which rises in the city center
and houses the well-known Casino of the same name, often used as a set
for famous films (such as those of James Bond series); sometimes by
synecdoche the name Monte Carlo or Montecarlo is used in place of the
entire Principality.
On the streets of the city-state there is a
non-permanent city car route, the Monte Carlo circuit, on which the
Monaco Grand Prix has been held since 1929 which, since 1950, has been
part of the Formula 1 world championship and has seen the victory of
undisputed figures of motor racing: the winners of the race include
multiple world champions such as the Brazilian Ayrton Senna, the British
Graham Hill, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and Lewis Hamilton, the
Frenchman Alain Prost, the Germans Sebastian Vettel and Michael
Schumacher, Dutchman Max Verstappen and others.
The Principality
is the richest country in the world for per capita income (over
$180,000) and, having no income taxes (only those on value added and
social security), bases its economy on the entertainment industry (
tourism, gambling) and real estate sales, as the average price of the
houses therein is among the highest in the world, estimated in 2012 at
more than $58,000 per square metre. Although not part of the European
Union, Monaco is part of the French customs area and has been authorized
by the European Union itself to mint the Monegasque euro, equivalent to
the Union currency and minted by the French mint.
Since 1911, the
powers of the state have been regulated by a constitution, the most
recent of which has been in force since 1962.
Article 8 of the
constitution establishes that the official language of the Principality
is French. However, Italian is also widely used; the Monegasque dialect,
although widespread, is only the third language after the two mentioned.
The citizens of the Principality are called Monegasques, although
sometimes there is a tendency to give this ethnicity even to simple
residents; individually, in fact, the citizens of the country are about
a fifth of the total residents (21%), while on the other hand just over
a quarter (28%) are residents of French nationality, almost 19% are
Italian and, to follow, among the '1 and 10% of representation include
the British, Germans, Swiss and the United States. According to article
9 of the aforementioned constitution, the state religion of the
Principality is Catholicism, even if article 23 of the same text
guarantees freedom of worship.
The Principality of Monaco offers a wide range of historical and
modern attractions. There are various museums and palaces to visit, as
well as shopping malls and casinos. Monaco also offers relaxation
opportunities along the port and even around the attractions. Navigating
Monte Carlo and Monaco is relatively easy once you take the time to
learn where the various "short cuts" are. Maps of the city are usually
available from most newsstands and shops for a small fee. The tourist
office could be a good place to start before setting out to explore the
city.
Casino (casino de Monte-Carlo, Monte Carlo Casino), Place
du Casino. Tel.: +377 98062121, email: vip@montecarlocasinos.com. The
Monte Carlo Casino is a gaming and entertainment complex that includes a
casino, the Opéra de Monaco and the office of Les Ballets de Monte
Carlo. The owner and operator is the Société des bains de mer de Monaco
(SBM), a public company in which the government of Monaco and the ruling
family hold a majority stake. The company also owns the main hotels,
sports clubs, catering establishments and nightclubs throughout Monaco.
If your wallet allows, try your luck at the Grand Casino and gamble with
the richest and often the most famous in the world. You need your
passport to enter the country (since Monegasque citizens are banned from
gambling at the casino), and entrance fees are huge depending on the
room - often from €30 to hundreds. You can also visit the casino without
gambling for a nominal fee of €10. The dress code inside is extremely
strict - men are required to wear coats and ties, and casual shoes are
prohibited. The game rooms themselves are spectacular, with stained
glass, paintings and sculptures throughout. The casino is not open at
this time of day, but visitors are given a half-hour audio guide and are
free to roam the grounds. Minors are also allowed to enter at this time,
and the dress code is less strictly enforced. Open: 14:00-04:00.
Opéra de Monaco (Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Monaco Opera House; At the back
of the Casino). Tel: +377 98 06 28 00. The Monaco Opera House or "Salle
Garnier" was built by the famous architect Charles Garnier. The
auditorium of the opera house is decorated in red and gold and has
frescoes and sculptures surrounding the auditorium. Looking up to the
auditorium ceiling, the visitor will be amazed by the magnificent
paintings. The opera house is extravagant and very beautiful at the same
time. There are some of the best international performances of ballet,
opera and concerts that have taken place at the Opera House for more
than a century; remember to catch a show during your visit. but expect
to pay top dollar! Open: 10:00-17:30; So, Mon closed.
Monaco-Ville. Take a stroll through Monaco-Ville, also known as "Le
Rocher" or "The rock". Still a medieval village at heart, Monaco-Ville
is an amazingly picturesque place. It consists almost entirely of
pedestrian streets and passageways, and most of the houses from the last
century remain. There are a number of hotels, restaurants and souvenir
shops where tourists can stay, eat and shop. You can also visit the
Prince's Palace, the Duomo, the Oceanographic Museum, the City Hall and
the Gardens of Saint Martin.
Port Hercule harbour
Palace
(palais de Monaco, Palais Princier). Located in old Monaco-Ville, the
Palais Princier is well worth a visit. There are guided tours of the
castle with audio guides for self-study. The palace also offers a
breathtaking panoramic view overlooking the port and Monte-Carlo. Every
day at 11:55 a.m., visitors can watch the changing of the guard ceremony
of the "carbine" in front of the main entrance of the palace. "Carbines"
are not only responsible for the security of the prince, but also offer
him honor protection and on special occasions they are his companions.
The "Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince" has a military band (fanfare)
that performs at public concerts, official events, sporting events and
international military music festivals. Open: 10:00-18:00; Jul,Aug
10:00-19:00; Oct 17-Mar 25 to.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée
(Saint Nicholas Cathedral), 4 rue Colonel Bellando de Castro, 98000.
Tel.: +33 7 93 30 87 70, email: cathedrale@cathedrale.mc. Monaco
Cathedral was built in 1875 and stands on the site of an earlier
13th-century church. It is a Romanesque-Byzantine church dedicated to
Saint Nicholas and houses the remains of the former Princes of Monaco
and Princess Grace. The church square is also home to some of
Monaco-Ville's best restaurants. Open: 08:30-18:00; May-Sep:
08:00-19:00.
Jardins Saint-Martin (Saint-Martin Garden), Avenue
Saint-Martin (direction Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée). Nice park at
the southern end of Le Rocher.
Oceanographic Museum (musée
océanographique de Monaco), Avenue Saint-Martin. Tel: +33 7 93 15 36 00.
The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium is a world famous attraction.
Located 279m above sea level, the museum houses stunning collections of
marine life, numerous specimens of sea creatures (stuffed and skeletal),
models of Prince Albert's laboratory ships and crafts made from natural
products of the sea. Exhibitions and film projections are presented
daily in the conference room on the ground floor. In the basement,
visitors can watch spectacular shows of marine flora and fauna. With
4,000 species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates, the
aquarium is now an authority on the depiction of the Mediterranean and
tropical marine ecosystem. Finally, visitors can have lunch at "La
Terrasse" and visit the museum shop. The entrance fee depends on the
month of the visit. Students can get discounts by showing a valid
student ID. Take the number 1 or 2 bus from Monaco Monte Carlo train
station to get to the Aquarium. Feature: changing table. Open: Oct-Mar:
10am-6pm; Apr-Jun,Sep: 10:00-19:00; Jul 10:00-20:00; Dec 25 to.
The Prince's Automobile Museum (musée de l'automobile de Monaco), 5
terrasses de Fontvieille, Monaco 98000. E-mail: mtcc@mtcc.mc. This is
the right place for every car lover. There is everything from carriages
and old cars to Formula 1 racing cars. Around 100 vehicles can be seen
here. Open: 10:00-18:00; Dec 25 to. Price: adults €6.50, students €3.
Stamp Museum (musée des timbres et des monnaies de Monaco), 11 Les
Terrasses de Fontvieille, 98000. E-mail: mtm@gouv.mc
Exotic
Garden (jardin exotique de Monaco), 62, Boulevard du Jardin Exotique.
Email: jardin-exotique@mairie.mc. The Jardin Exotique is one of the many
gardens Monaco has to offer. It is also one of Monaco's top tourist
attractions. Several thousand rare plants from all over the world are
presented in a circuit that is unforgettable both for the view and for
the flora and plants. Due to the difference in elevation, there are not
only many displays of desert plants, but also a handful of subtropical
flora displays. There is also a grotto (cave) that offers guided tours.
The tour starts at the beginning of every hour and lasts approximately
25 minutes. In the cave you have to climb the stairs, which are about
the same as a 6-story building. You have to take bus number 2 to reach
this garden. You can take this bus from either the train station or the
Oceanographic Museum. Open: Nov-Jan: 09:00-17:00; Feb-Apr,Oct:
09:00-18:00; May-Sep: 09:00-19:00; Nov 19, Dec 25 to.
Yacht Club
Monaco (Yacht Club de Monaco), Quai Louis II. Tel: +377 93106300. The
Yacht Club de Monaco was founded in 1953 by Prince Rainier and has been
managed by Prince Albert II since 1984. It unites more than 1200 members
from 60 nations. Many of the most prestigious private yachts in the
world are testament to the rise of the Yacht Club de Monaco and
testament to its unique position on the international yachting scene.
The new building designed by Lord Foster is located in the heart of Port
Hercule, opposite the YCM Marina. The YCM Gallery is a new area open to
the public.
La Condamine. is the second oldest district in
Monaco, after Monaco-Ville. Here you can stop and admire the many
luxurious yachts and cruise ships that usually adorn the docks in the
marina. La Condamine is a thriving business district where you can visit
the Condamine Market and the Rue Princesse Caroline pedestrian street.
Offering pleasantly landscaped areas and modern buildings, La Condamine
is certainly worth a visit.
Grimaldi Forum, 10, Avenue Princesse
Grace. Tel.: +377 99 99 20 00, email: gf@grimaldiforum.mc. The Grimaldi
Forum is the Monaco Convention Center. Completed in July 2000, the
sun-filled oceanfront building features a remarkable glass entrance, two
meeting restaurants, an auditorium for ballet and opera, and two other
auditoriums for meetings and other affairs. The forum also offers two
large exhibition halls that can be used for trade fairs or other
exhibitions. It is also within walking distance of the surrounding
hotels.
Champions Promenade (Golden Foot). The Golden Foot
Footballer of the Year winner leaves a permanent form of his footprints
here on the beach.
Japanese Garden (jardin japonais de Monaco).
The garden is 0.7 hectares and features a stylized mountain, hill,
waterfall, beach, stream and a zen garden for meditation. The garden was
designed by Yasuo Beppu, winner of the 1990 Osaka Flower Show, as a
miniature representation of Shinto philosophy.
Rose Garden
Princess Grace
Marlborough Fine Arts Gallery, 4 Quai Antoine 1er.
Tel: +377 (0)97 70 2550. The Marlborough Fine Arts Gallery was founded
in London by Frank Lloyd and Harry Fischer. A second gallery opened in
Rome, another in New York and another in Monaco. The gallery has a large
collection of post-war artists and even paintings by Pablo Picasso, Joan
Miró, Jules Brassai, Louise Bourgeois, Dale Chihuly, David Hockney and
Henri Matisse. The gallery also offers group exhibitions. Price: free.
New National Museum - Villa Sauber, 17 Avenue Princesse Grace. Tel:
+377 98 98 91 26, email: public@nmnm.mc. Art exhibition in one of the
last Belle Epoque villas in Monaco. Open: 10:00-18:00 during
exhibitions. Price: 6€ (Villa Paloma + Villa Sauber).
Nouveau
National Museum - Villa Paloma (Nouveau musée national de Monaco, New
National Museum - Villa Paloma), 56 Boulevard du Jardin Exotique. Tel:
+377 98 98 48 60, email: public@nmnm.mc. Art exhibition at the second
location of the New National Museum. Open: 10:00-18:00 during
exhibitions. Price: 6€ (Villa Paloma + Villa Sauber).
In addition to the Monaco Grand Prix, the city also hosts the
prestigious Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, a well-known tennis competition
that has taken place every year since 1897 in April. In addition,
numerous other international cultural events take place including
concerts by major international artists, trade fairs and art
exhibitions; they mainly take place at the Grimaldi Forum, the
multifunctional exhibition center located near the beach, or at the
exclusive Sporting Club.
All events are always held under the
high patronage of the reigning prince.
Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco Red Cross Grand Gala
Monte-Carlo
International Circus Festival
Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Monaco Film Festival
Imagine
Printemps des Arts
Since Monaco is completely surrounded by France, except on the coast, entry is only possible from France. Border controls do not take place.
The nearest airport is in France, Nice Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur (IATA: NCE). From there there is a helicopter shuttle to Monaco. However, you can also travel from the airport to Monaco by train or taxi, which is much cheaper.
Monaco has only one
train station, Monaco-Monte Carlo. This is very modern and is located
near the city center. The architecture is spectacular and sometimes
confusing: the station was built into the rock together with a huge
parking garage and is almost completely underground. It is accessed from
the city via escalators and elevators - the main entrance is seen from
the tracks "above", from there it goes to the city center - the exit
with daylight directly on the platform leads to "nowhere", at least for
tourists.
The following lines operate here:
ter on the
(Grasse–) Cannes–Antibes–Nice–Monte Carlo–Menton–Ventimiglia line
(regional train with all intermediate stops, runs every 30 minutes
during the day; only 2nd class)
TGV inOui on the Paris-Gare de Lyon -
Marseille - Nice - Monte Carlo - Menton line (high-speed train, runs
only 1-2 times a day)
The city bus system of Monaco has only six lines. Connecting only the
areas of tourist attractions. Buses of the inner-city lines run on a
strict schedule (the intervals are quite large) from 6.00-7.00 to 21.00.
The main routes are the "Seaside Route" (Cap d'Ail. Eze-sur-Mer.
Bulle-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Operating hours from 06.00 to
21.00. The interval is 30 minutes). The Middle Corniche route (Cap
d'Ail. Eze-Village and Col de Villefranche. Operating hours from 06.00
to 18.15. The interval is 1 hour).
"Menton Seaside Route" (stops
at Roquebrune and Cap Martin. Operating hours from 05.30 to 21.00.
Interval - 30 minutes). And also the lines Saint-Roman - Rochers de
Monaco. Jardin Exotique - Rochers de Monaco. Rochers de Monaco - Parking
Touristique - Fontvieille operate at intervals of approximately 25-30
minutes. Between Monaco-Ville and Casino, buses run at intervals of 5
minutes. And between Saint-Roman and Jardin Exotique on one side and the
Train Station and the beaches at Larvotto on the other - at intervals of
10 minutes.
Monaco is part of the pan-European system of expressways. From any city in Europe you can get here by car via the expressways through the French cities of La Turbie and Roquebrune, through the Italian city of Ventimiglia, and also along the "regular" highways of La Bass, La Moyenne and La Grande Corniche. There are no formalities for crossing the border between France and Monaco.
Monaco has two ports (Port Hercule and Port de Fontvielle) which are year-round destinations mainly for luxury yachts from all over the world. West of the heliport is the port of Cap d'Ail.
A pleasant way to arrive in Monaco is to walk the Sentier du bord de mer (from the Cap d'Ail). (Coastal path), about 45 minutes walk on a concrete path in a natural and quiet environment. Take the train and stop at Cap d'Ail train station (the last one before Monaco if you come from Nice; not all trains stop there). Outside the train station, follow the road a few meters and take the stairs on the left to pass under the tracks. Arrived at the small road, turn left and walk a few meters, then take the stairs to the right of the "La Pinède" restaurant to get on the path. If you want to take the route from Monaco to Cap d'ail train station, go west of the Fontvieille district, cross the French border to reach Cap d'Ail port and follow the coast. After a few minutes you will reach the Sentier du bord de mer (from Monaco) just after a last parking lot. It can be dangerous and closed in bad weather. In this case, you will either have to go back and take the train, or walk on the street. There is no lighting at night.
Walking is by far the best way to get around Monaco; however, there are some areas, such as the Exotic Garden, that have a large elevation gain and therefore make for more strenuous hikes. There are also seven public escalators and elevators (all free) to help negotiate the city's steep slopes. If you're on foot and want to reach the opposite bank at Port Hercule, look for the little Bateau Bus, a pedestrian ferry that runs every 20 minutes or so during daylight hours; it costs €2.
Monaco has a municipal bus service operated by the Compagnie des Autobus Monaco, across the city's five bus routes (designated 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6) that serve 143 stops. Each stop has the bus number(s) that stop there, and most stops have a real-time display showing wait times for the next service. Each stop has a name and a network map. The service usually starts around 6am and runs until around 9pm. Tickets can be bought on board the buses themselves (€2) or from many newsagents and shops throughout the city and from machines at the stops (€1.50) - there are often signs indicating where you can do this. A day pass allows you to use the buses all day for €5.50 (9/2016) and can also be bought on board the bus. A night bus runs from 10pm to 4am on the roundabout.
In Nice you can easily rent a scooter and take a short trip east along the sea to Monaco. The views are beautiful and the drive along the winding coastal road is fun. There is plenty of free parking. Theft is not a problem as there are cameras and police everywhere. To rent one you must be at least 16 years old.
Private vehicles are singularly useless for getting around Monaco as
you will spend more time parking than if you were walking or taking a
taxi.
International car hire companies have offices at Nice
Airport and also in Monte Carlo City. These include Avis, Gare Monte
Carlo, Europcar and Hertz - drivers must have held a national driving
licence for at least a year and will usually require that costs are paid
using the driver's credit card. Driving in the city centre can be
intimidating in Monte Carlo with heavy traffic - but it is often worth
driving alongside the more expensive vehicles in the city!
Taking a taxi in Monaco is rather pointless as the distances are very
short and you can walk to everything in no time. Also, taking a taxi in
Monaco is very expensive and even for a journey of a few minutes you can
end up paying exorbitant prices.
Taxis cannot be called on the
streets (they will not stop) and there are two main taxi ranks open 24
hours a day on Avenue de Monte Carlo and at the train station, although
it is always best to agree a fee beforehand or make sure the meter is
running. Most hotels will provide taxis or taxi drivers, and it is best
to ask for the taxi service's telephone number to be able to call a taxi
wherever you are.
The colloquial language and sole official language is French. In addition, a Ligurian dialect is spoken, which is called "munegascu" and can also be heard in a similar form in Liguria in Italy. Due to the proximity to Italy, one often hears Italian as well.
Small fashion boutiques and souvenir shops can be found
throughout the city. Most of these can be found in the old town.
Shopping in Monte Carlo tends to be quite exclusive and certainly not a
place for a cheap vacation. There are plenty of ways to melt the credit
card alongside Europe's high rollers. The chic clothing stores are
located in the Golden Circle, framed by Avenue Monte Carlo, Avenue des
Beaux-Arts and Allées Lumiéres, where Hermès, Christian Dior, Gucci and
Prada are represented. The area around Place du Casino is home to
high-end jewelers such as Bulgari, Cartier and Chopard. However, you'll
find that most tourists will just enjoy wandering the area and window
shopping, even if they don't buy anything. Normal opening hours are 9am
to 12pm and 3pm to 7pm.
For more sophisticated shopping in Monte
Carlo, visit the Condamine Market. The market, located on the Place
d'Armes, has existed since 1880 and is lively and attractive - many
hours can be spent just wandering around buying souvenirs from the many
small shops, boutiques and friendly locals. However, if your shopping
tastes are more modern, just take a short stroll along the promenade to
the pedestrianized Rue Princess Caroline.
The Fontvieille
Shopping Center is also a 'normal' shopping experience with 36 shops
selling electronics, CDs, furniture and clothing, as well as a Carrefour
supermarket and McDonald's. The Tourist Office also publishes a useful
free shopping guide to the city.
The food in Monaco is varied but generally expensive, and even very
simple meals will often set you back over 20-30 euros. Check out the
menu before you visit even shabby restaurants, or be in for a surprise.
There are places where you can find decent bang for your buck, but they
often require you to know beforehand. Restaurants where the locals often
dine a bit off the waterfront and often serve up better food at lower
prices (though since you're in Monaco: nothing beats a bargain).
There are many restaurants for tourists, from the Cafe de Paris opposite
the casino to the waterfront restaurants along Port de Fontvieille.
During the winter months you will find that the restaurants have a
slightly lower price. Bouillabaisse is a good tip.
If you absolutely want to stay overnight in the small principality,
you should inquire about the prices beforehand. Most hotels are in the 4
to 5 star category.
Fairmont, 12 Avenue des Spelugues, 98000
Monaco. Tel: +377 93 506500, +888 270 6650 (toll free, for room
reservations only), Fax: +377 93 300157, Email: montecarlo@fairmont.com.
Apart from the Vatican State, Monaco is probably the safest country in the world. There are police stations on all access roads, and all major intersections are secured by uniformed police officers who also ensure that traffic flows smoothly. In addition, there are several hundred video surveillance cameras, including in all public elevators and underpasses. The police officers are friendly but determined.
The European health insurance card is not valid.
Even today, Monaco has stricter dress codes than neighboring regions. Attempting to visit the city in swimwear or similar will end up at the first cop! The dress code for the cathedral is similar to that for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
If you want to send a postcard from Monaco, you should also buy a
Monegasque stamp, because French stamps are not valid in Monaco.
Therefore, you have to throw in the card again directly in Monaco.
Monaco is not part of the EU and therefore not part of the EU
roaming zone - making calls with your local SIM card can therefore be
very expensive. However, French networks, to which the EU roaming
regulation applies, can also be received in many parts of Monaco - so it
may help to switch off the automatic network selection and dial the
French roaming partner manually.
The history of Monaco covers the developments in the area of the Principality of Monaco from prehistory to the present day. The name of the Principality of Monaco may be derived from the Ligurian tribe of the "Monoikos", who are said to have inhabited this area in the 5th century BC. According to another explanation, the name comes from the pre-Christian cult of Heracles, which was particularly widespread in Monaco. In ancient times, Heracles was often given the nickname "Monoikos", "the unique one".
The oldest traces of human settlement in what is now Monaco go back
5000 years. Traces of this first settlement were discovered in the caves
of the Saint Martin Gardens. Around 2000 BC, the area was settled by the
Ligurians, who also gave their name to the neighboring Italian region.
After the Ligurians were pushed north, Greeks and Phoenicians settled in
the area. In the 1st century BC, the area was populated by the
Ligurians, who also gave the neighboring Italian region its name. In the
5th century AD, the region fell to the Romans and was part of the Alpes
Maritimae province. The famous "Tropaeum Alpium" building in the
neighboring town of La Turbie dates from this period. After the fall of
the Roman Empire, the coast was plagued by various barbarian peoples,
pirates and the Saracens from the 5th century onwards. This period ended
when the Saracens were expelled by Count William of Provence in 975.
Provence belonged to the Kingdom of Arelat at the time and it was later
the emperors Frederick Barbarossa and Henry VI (in 1191) who placed the
coastal region under the control of the Republic of Genoa. June 10, 1215
is considered the founding date of Monaco. On this day, the foundation
stone of a Genoese border fortress was laid on the Rock of Monaco, on
the site where the prince's palace now stands. Settlers were also
attracted by free land distribution and tax exemptions. At that time,
like in many northern Italian cities, Genoa was in the midst of a civil
war between the Ghibellines and the Guelphs, the Italian offshoot of the
German dispute between the Guelphs and the Hohenstaufen. The Ghibellines
supported the emperor's party, while the Guelphs supported the pope's
party.
Fulco del Casello, leader of an influential patrician
Genoese Ghibelline family, is said to be the founder of the fortress of
Monaco. The Genoese civil war also had an impact on Monaco. Ghibelline
families such as the Dorias and Spinolas and Guelph families such as the
Fieschis and the Grimaldis took turns in ruling the rock.
At that time, Genoa was one of the leading powers in the Mediterranean. The oldest known ancestor of the Grimaldis is Otto Canella (1100–1143). Since the time of the Crusades, Genoa was ruled by consuls as a city republic. Canella was consul of Genoa in 1133. His son, Grimaldo Canella (1130–1184) was elected consul three times. His son Oberto (1170–1252) was the first to use the nickname Grimaldi (meaning "son of Grimaldo"). From 1270 onwards, the conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines in Genoa became particularly bloody. The ruling Ghibelline families, the Dorias and the Spinolas, tried to drive the Guelphs out of the city. In 1296, the Guelphs and with them the Grimaldi family were expelled from the city. The Grimaldis, then a large family with many different branches, settled in various cities in the Mediterranean. They married into the lordship of Boglio (now Beuil in France), ruled Nice for a time on behalf of the Savoys and were able to win Antibes in 1348. The Lords of Boglio in particular succeeded in establishing a coherent territorial rule, whose quest for independence from the Savoys only ended in the 17th century.
When the Grimaldis were expelled from Genoa, the fortress of Monaco
was still firmly in the hands of their enemies, the Ghibellines. On
January 8, 1297, soldiers of the Grimaldis and allied Guelph families
disguised as Franciscans and under the command of Francesco Grimaldi
(known as "the Clever") entered Monaco and conquered the fortress. This
was the first time Monaco had fallen into the hands of the Grimaldis.
Francesco's older cousin Rainier took over as head of the family.
However, the Grimaldis were only able to hold out there for four years
and lost control of the rock again in 1301.
After the expulsion
of Monaco, Rainier served the French King Philip IV, the Fair
(1268-1314), and on his behalf commanded the royal fleet, with which he
was able to achieve the decisive naval victory of the French over the
Flemish at Zierikzee in 1304. In gratitude, the king appointed him
Admiral of France. Rainier I became the progenitor of the Monegasque
branch of the Grimaldi family.
His son, Charles I, who fought on
the French side in the Hundred Years' War at the Battle of Crécy (1346)
and the Siege of Calais, managed to reconquer Monaco in 1331 and acquire
the neighboring dominions of Menton (1346) and Roquebrune (1355). He was
the first to bear the title of Lord (Seigneur) of Monaco. However,
Genoa, under the rule of its Doge Boccanegra, managed to reconquer
Monaco in 1357. Charles I was killed during the siege of the fortress by
the Genoese.
Rainier II (1350–1407), the son of Charles I, served
in the army of Queen Joan I of Naples. He managed to hold Menton and
reconquer Roquebrune. However, he never entered the fortress of Monaco
itself; it remained in Genoese hands. His three sons Ambrosius, Anton
and John managed to reconquer Monaco in 1419. After a division of the
inheritance in 1427, John I (1382–1454) ruled alone. He was captured by
the Duke of Milan, who threatened to execute him if Monaco did not
return to Genoese rule. John I stood firm and from captivity instructed
his wife Pomelline, who remained in Monaco as regent, not to give in to
the Duke of Milan's demands. The Duke of Milan was eventually forced to
release him. John I died in 1454.
His son, Catalano, survived him
by only three years, during which he aligned himself politically closely
with King Charles VII of France. He died in 1457 without a male heir. To
prevent the family from dying out, he arranged the marriage of his heir
Claudine (1451–1515) with Lambert (1420–1498), his nephew from the
Antiber line of the Grimaldis. Lambert became his successor in 1457.
Lambert, an excellent diplomat, became majordomo and advisor to the
French King Charles VIII (1470–1498). The motto on Monaco's coat of
arms, "Deo juvante" (through God's help), goes back to him. Through his
clever diplomacy, he managed to get the French King and the Duke of
Savoy to recognize Monegasque independence in 1489. Since then, the
independent state of Monaco has also existed under international law.
However, Genoa was not yet ready to recognize Monaco's independence.
After Lambert's death, his eldest son John II (1468-1505) took power
in 1494. He died in a dispute with his younger brother Lucien, who also
became his successor; it is unclear whether this was an accident or
fratricide.
In 1507, Genoa made a final attempt to recapture
Monaco. Genoese troops besieged the rock for 100 days, during which
Lucien and his troops resisted. The Genoese were eventually forced to
withdraw without accomplishing anything. King Louis XII of France
(1462-1515) wrote in 1512 that "the dominion of Monaco had been kept in
the hand of God with the help of the sword," thus recognizing Monegasque
independence. Lucien was assassinated in 1523 by Bartholomew Doria, his
nephew and follower of the famous Genoese admiral Andrea Doria.
Since his son Honoré was still a child when he died, his brother
Augustin I, who was also Bishop of Grasse, took over power in Monaco as
regent. Andrea Doria, the strong man of Genoa who was responsible for
the murder of Lucien, was allied with the French King Francis I
(1494–1547). Under Augustin I, the Monegasque-French relationship
therefore deteriorated. Augustin I therefore contacted the Roman-German
Emperor Charles V in his capacity as King of Spain, the arch-enemy of
Francis I of France. In 1525, the Treaty of Burgos and Tordesillas was
signed between Augustin I and Charles V. Through the treaty, Monaco
placed itself under Spanish protection. The alliance with the Spanish
lasted until 1641. Spanish soldiers were stationed in Monaco. The
alliance, however, cost Monaco dear financially, as the country had to
pay almost entirely for the Spanish garrison.
When Augustine died
in 1532, Honoré (1522–1581) was still a minor, so a Grimaldi from the
Genoese branch of the family, Stefan, took over power. When Honoré I
came of age, he assumed power himself, which continued peacefully until
his death in 1581. Honoré was succeeded by his son Charles II
(1555–1589). He was particularly concerned with the administration of
the fiefdoms that Charles V had given him in southern Italy, including
the Margraviate of Campagna. Charles II died in 1589. He was succeeded
by his younger brother Hercule.
Hercule was assassinated in 1605. At that time, his son, Honoré II,
was still a minor. The regency passed to his uncle, the Spanish Prince
of Valdetare, who held it until 1616. On his advice, Honoré II assumed
the title of Prince and Lord of Monaco in 1612, which was recognized by
the Spanish court.
Honoré II's reign led to a golden age in
Monegasque history. In order to free himself from the heavy financial
obligations for the Spanish garrison, the prince planned a rapprochement
with France. In 1630, negotiations with the French crown began, which
were to last for 10 years. Honoré II was supported by Cardinal
Richelieu, his nephew, the Marquis of Courbons and Lord of Cagne,
Jean-Henri Grimaldi and the Governor of Provence, the Marshal of Vitry.
On September 14, 1641, the time had finally come: Honoré II and the
French King Louis XIII (1601–1643) signed the Treaty of Péronne. France
thereby recognized Monaco's independence and became its protector, which
is why a French garrison was stationed in Monaco under the sovereign's
command. This ended the Monegasque-Spanish alliance of 1525. However,
the problem of the Spanish garrison in Monaco remained. It had
barricaded itself on the rock and refused to withdraw. Honoré II had
Monegasque citizens armed, who succeeded in defeating the Spaniards on
November 17, 1641, who were then forced to surrender and withdraw.
Spain then confiscated the northern Italian fiefdoms that had once
been given to Monaco under Charles V. In return, the French king granted
the Prince of Monaco the Duchy of Valentinois, the County of Carlat in
Auvergne, the Margraviate of Beaux and the Lordship of Saint-Rémy in
Provence. Honoré II returned to the French court several times and was
received in Paris with the highest honours by the King and Cardinal
Mazarin. The young King Louis XIV became godfather to his grandson Louis
I.
Honoré II also converted the old castle on the rock in Monaco
into a representative palace. The south wing with the state apartments,
which can still be visited today, are his work. He also laid the
foundation for the famous art collection of the Princes of Monaco with a
collection of over 700 paintings.
Honoré II died in 1662. Since
his son Hercules had already died in an accident in 1651, his grandson
Louis I took over the government.
Louis I and his wife, who as
the daughter of Marshal de Gramont held an important position at the
French court, only stayed in Monaco for a short time. Louis fought in
the War of the United Provinces of the Netherlands against England and
took part in battles in Flanders and Franche-Comté. Louis XIV then
appointed him his ambassador to the Holy See. His mission there was to
secure the Pope's support for a French succession in the event of the
Spanish Habsburgs dying out. Louis I tried to achieve this through a
lavish court and expensive bribes, for which he also used part of the
private fortune accumulated by his grandfather Honoré II. Louis I died
in Rome in 1701. Since the last Spanish Habsburg, Charles II, had died
only a short time before, Louis I was no longer able to resolve the
question of succession in Spain through negotiations. Instead, the War
of the Spanish Succession broke out.
Antoine I, Louis I's son,
succeeded him to the throne. He was married to Mary of Lorraine, from
one of the first French noble families. He spent his youth in Paris and
in the military, where he was called Goliath because of his size.
After his accession to the throne, Antoine practically never left
Monaco because of his poor health, while his wife lived mostly in Paris
because of her position at the French court. This led to an estrangement
between the spouses. In 1707, the Duke of Savoy invaded Provence, and
Monaco, although neutral, feared being drawn into the conflict. Antoine
I therefore had important fortifications built in Monaco. The threat
from Savoy only ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
With
the death of Antoine I in 1731, the Grimaldis died out in the male line.
His eldest daughter, Louise-Hippolyte (1697–1731), married the Sire of
Martignon in 1715, from one of the most distinguished Norman noble
families. She ascended the Monegasque throne in 1731 as the first female
regent, but died after only ten months of reign. Her husband then
renounced his French titles and coat of arms, received the title of Duke
of Valentinois from Louis XIV and ascended the Monegasque throne as
Jacques I.
However, he was not recognized as a native by the
Monegasque population and therefore abdicated on November 7, 1733 in
favor of his son Honoré III. He lived the rest of his life in Paris,
where he devoted himself in particular to his art collection; his house,
the Hôtel Martignon, is now the seat of the French Prime Minister.
Honoré III spent much of his youth in Paris and made a career in the
French army. When his father abdicated, he was still a minor; the
regency was initially led by Anton Charles (le Chevalier Grimaldi), an
illegitimate son of Antoine I and thus half-brother of his mother
Louise-Hippolyte. During the War of the Austrian Succession, Monaco was
besieged by Austrian-Sardinian troops. In 1767, Edward Augustus, Duke of
York and Albany, the younger brother of the English king, died in the
Prince's Palace in Monaco, where he was staying due to an illness that
had struck him on a trip to Genoa. Honoré III. married an Italian
noblewoman, from whom he soon separated, but who initially gave birth to
two sons. The elder of them, Honoré IV, married the niece and heiress of
Cardinal Mazarin, who gave the family further large estates in France.
The Grimaldi family was also hit hard by the French Revolution. In
1789, all feudal rights were abolished by the French parliament. The
Grimaldi family, which derived a large part of its income from its
feudal estates in France, was also expropriated. Honoré III tried in
vain to be recognized as a foreign, non-French prince and to obtain
special rights for himself by referring to the Treaty of Péronne. Two
parties formed in Monaco, one that wanted to preserve the independence
and sovereignty of the prince, and a second, called the People's Party,
which wanted to introduce the achievements of the French Revolution to
Monaco as well. With the French invasion of the neighboring county of
Nice, the People's Party gained the upper hand. By decree of February
14, 1793, the National Convention decided on the union (réunion) of the
principality with France. Monaco was annexed by France under the name
Fort-Hercule ("Hercules Castle"). It was initially the capital of an
arrondissement until it was moved to San Remo.
Honoré III was
thrown into prison in Paris, where he died in 1795. The wife of his
second son, Joseph, died under the guillotine in 1794 at the age of 27.
The members of the royal family spent the time of the French Revolution
in France, partly in prison, partly under difficult material conditions.
The royal palace in Monaco had been plundered and initially served as
barracks, later as a hospital and municipal poorhouse.
On April 6, 1814, Napoleon was forced to abdicate. The first Treaty
of Paris restored the independence of the principality. Honoré IV was
initially unable to assume power due to his poor health and nominated
his brother Joseph as regent. When his son, the later Honoré V,
protested, Honoré IV returned to his principality. When Napoleon was
able to escape from his exile on Elba and briefly return to France,
Honoré IV was arrested and brought before the emperor. After the emperor
was finally overthrown and sent into exile again (to St. Helena), the
second Treaty of Paris (November 20, 1815) restored the independence of
the principality, but this time it was placed under the protection of
the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1817, the relationship between the
principality and its new protecting power was regulated in a treaty with
King Victor Emmanuel I (Treaty of Stupinigi, November 8, 1817). The
alliance with Sardinia was far less advantageous for Monaco than the old
relationship with France, based on the Treaty of Péronne. The
principality, already in financial difficulties due to the events of the
French Revolution, had to go into debt. In 1819, Honoré IV died and his
son, Honoré V, ascended to the throne. He tried to combat the economic
difficulties of the principality with draconian measures that led to
discontent among the population. In 1833, there were protests against
the prince in Menton.
Honoré V died unmarried and without
children. Therefore, in 1841, his younger brother Florestan ascended to
the princely throne.
Although Florestan himself was more
interested in his literary studies than in governing the principality,
his wife Carolina Gibert de Lametz actively supported him in the
government. However, they too were unable to resolve the principality's
financial problems. In addition, the country was again affected by
political developments beyond its borders. King Charles Albert I of
Sardinia had given his people a liberal constitution. The citizens of
Monaco, especially in Menton, which had been favoring independence for
some time, demanded a similar constitution for Monaco (Monaco had no
constitution at the time, but was ruled by absolutism). Florestan twice
offered a constitution, but this did not go far enough for the citizens
of Menton. The February Revolution of 1848 strengthened the citizens of
Menton in their demands and thus deepened the conflict.
Florestan finally saw no other option than to withdraw from active
politics and appoint his son, Charles III, as regent. But it was already
too late to stop the independence movement in Menton. On March 2, 1848,
a "Provisional Government Committee" took power in Menton, and on March
21, 1848, the independent republic of the Free Cities of Menton and
Roquebrune was proclaimed, which placed themselves under the protection
of the King of Sardinia. Monaco itself, however, remained loyal to its
prince.
Shortly afterwards, the Kingdom of Sardinia
"provisionally" took over the administration of the two cities, but did
not formally annex them in order not to provoke a conflict with France.
After Florestan's death, Charles III officially ascended the
princely throne in 1856. His attempts to reintegrate Menton and
Roquebrune into the Monegasque state failed. In 1860, Italy had to cede
the surrounding area, the counties of Savoy and Nice, to France (Treaty
of Turin (1860)). Menton and Roquebrune, which had been administered by
Italy until then, also came under de facto French control. Charles III
therefore saw no possibility of keeping the two cities. On February 2,
1861, he signed a treaty with the French Emperor Napoleon III, with
which Monaco finally ceded the two cities to France.
The reign of Charles III saw Monaco's resurgence. With the treaty of
1861, the principality lost over 80% of its territory. At the same time,
however, France recognized the independence of the principality under
the sole sovereignty of the prince. For the first time in its history,
the principality was thus completely sovereign and no longer bound to a
protecting power. France also permitted the establishment of a customs
union with the principality. This meant that there was no longer a
customs border, which significantly increased trade in Monaco. Finally,
France agreed to build a coastal road between Menton and Nice (Moyenne
Corniche) and to set up a station on the Nice-Genoa railway line in
Monaco. This opened up the principality in terms of transport, laying
the foundation for the beginning of tourism. Charles III also opened a
post and telegraph station, the first postage stamps were printed, and
its own gold coins were minted. Monaco opened its first embassies and
consulates abroad. The diocese of Monaco was founded, and the country
thus gained its independence from France under canon law.
Particularly important, however, was the economic upturn in the
principality under Charles III, which resembled an economic miracle and
laid the foundation for today's prosperity. Charles III, supported in
government by his mother, the dowager prince Caroline, wanted to open up
a new source of income for the principality in order to put the state's
finances on a solid economic footing. In 1863 he therefore founded the
Société des bains de mer, which was to build a casino. The company was
not a success under the first two directors, but this was to change when
François Blanc was granted the concession for the casino for 50 years.
Blanc, the "Wizard of Monaco", made the casino a global success, the
first luxury hotels were built on the rock of Spelugues, and more and
more well-heeled foreign tourists visited the principality. In 1866 the
area around the casino was officially named after Charles III. renamed
Monte Carlo. The casino brought in so much revenue for the state that
direct taxation was abolished in 1869. The Monaco Opera was inaugurated
in 1879 and the current red and white national flag was introduced in
1881.
In 1889, after the death of Charles III, his son Albert I ascended
the royal throne. He had previously been a scientist and researcher
specializing in oceanography and paleontology. Among other things, he
founded the world-famous Oceanographic Museum and Institute in Monaco,
which was later to be under the leadership of Jacques Cousteau for many
years. In 1911, he gave the country its first Monegasque constitution.
Louis II succeeded his father on the Monegasque throne in 1922. He
managed to lead the country through the difficult times after the First
World War and the Great Depression without any major problems. In 1918,
Monegasque independence was once again guaranteed in a new treaty with
France.
As early as 1933, the National Socialists had become
aware of Monaco's tax and currency advantages through the President of
the Reichsbank and later Minister of Economics, Hjalmar Schacht. He
intended to establish an international bank as an outpost of the German
Reich, with the expectation of a Monegasque currency of its own,
separate from the French franc. Later, a commercial bank that was
independent of the outside world and under the influence of the Third
Reich acted as a foreign currency procurement agency.
The Second
World War reached Monaco on June 11, 1940, when Mussolini declared war
on France. Motorized Italian units took up positions along the
Mediterranean coast with the aim of occupying Monaco. However, Monaco
was more important to Hitler as an externally independent neutral state,
so that he could earn foreign currency and buy strategic goods through
Monaco even during the war. As with other deals with the neutral states
of Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and Portugal, a few select German
companies and banks with international relations were involved. Prince
Louis II demonstratively declared his appreciation for Marshal Pétain
and his Vichy regime in order to prove his apparent independence. On
July 3, 1941, under German pressure, a law was passed to register the
Jews, most of whom had come to Monaco to escape the Germans. The art
historian and art collector August Liebmann Mayer was arrested in Monaco
in February 1944 at the instigation of the German Consul General Walter
Hellenthal and deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. After the
Allies landed in North Africa, when "unoccupied France" was also
occupied by the Wehrmacht, Monaco was also occupied by German troops
from September 8, 1943 to September 3, 1944, but these were initially
perceived as less threatening than the Italians. This apparent
sovereignty of the Monegasque prince over fascist Italy and the Third
Reich would have compromised the royal house if his grandson Rainier had
not joined de Gaulle's Free France forces in time. After the Allies
landed in Provence, de Gaulle could have appointed a prefect in Monaco
and thus ended Monegasque independence if the succession had not been
regulated in Rainier's favor. This ensured that Rainier would be a
prince who was in line with de Gaulle's.
Louis II died without a
male heir. His daughter, Princess Charlotte, had married a French
nobleman, Pierre Count of Polignac. This marriage produced the future
Prince Rainier. Although Monegasque law does not exclude female
succession in principle, Princess Charlotte renounced all rights to the
Monegasque throne in favor of her son in 1944. He then ascended the
princely throne as Rainier III of Monaco in 1949, upon the death of his
grandfather Louis II. In 1956 he married the American film actress Grace
Kelly. Through her work, when she took the name Grace Patricia as
Princess, Monaco finally became a playground for the rich of this world.
In 1958, the Crown Prince Albert, Margrave of Baux, was born. In 1982,
Princess Grace Patricia died in a traffic accident.
Monaco joined
the World Health Organization on July 8, 1948.
The current
constitution has been in force since December 17, 1962. Among other
things, this introduced women's active and passive right to vote at the
national level. At the local level, this had been law since May 24,
1945.
Monaco joined the United Nations in 1993.
As Prince
Rainier was no longer able to govern due to illness, the government was
transferred to his son Albert II on March 31, 2005. Rainier III died on
April 6, 2005, and Albert II's official accession to the throne took
place on July 12, 2005. He married Charlene Wittstock civilly on July 1,
2011 and in church on July 2, 2011.
Remnant of the ancient Italian states, the Principality of Monaco
with its 2.02 km² is, after the Vatican City, the second smallest
sovereign state in the world.
Its territory is a narrow strip of
land on the Côte d'Azur at the foot of the Alps whose highest point is
at the top of the Chemin des Révoires, 163 meters above sea level. It
falls within the Italian geographical region, overlooking the Riviera di
Ponente, on the coast of the Ligurian Sea, 18 kilometers east of Nice
and 14 km southwest of Ventimiglia and on the border with Italy.
It is surrounded on three sides by the French department of
Alpes-Maritimes in the French region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and
borders the French communes of Cap-d'Ail, Beausoleil, La Turbie and
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, of which it shares part of the urban
agglomeration.
From an administrative point of view, the
principality consists of a single municipality, divided into ten
administrative districts (Quartiers) which cover the entire national
territory.
The maximum altitude of 164 m is reached on one of the slopes of
Mount Agel, which peaks at 1,150 m. The Place du Palais is at 62 m.
Reliefs near Monaco:
the Tête de Chien (France), a promontory 550
meters above sea level overlooking Monaco;
Mount Agel (France), the
highest point of the watershed;
Mount Gros (France).
There are three torrents that have their source in France and pass below Monaco and flow directly into the Mediterranean Sea.
Monaco has a Mediterranean and subtropical climate, humid with mild,
wet winters and hot summers with plenty of sunshine.
The average
temperature in the 20th century, over more than 75 years of observation,
is 16.3 °C. This average temperature varies from 10.2 °C in January to
23.7 °C in August. Temperatures are never too high in the afternoon,
thanks to the sea wind. On the other hand, nights can be very hot and
humid (20 °C) in summer due to the high sea temperature (up to 26 °C in
August).
The average annual sunshine is around 2,500-2,600 hours
and the number of rainy days is low to very low: 62 per year.
Snow and frost are extremely rare, occurring once or twice a decade
along the coast.
In 1879, the Garnier Hall building - the Opéra de Monaco - was built
according to the project of the architect Charles Garnier (builder of
the Paris Opera).
Enrico Caruso, Fyodor Chaliapin, Plácido
Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti sang in this opera house in different
years. In 1905, the opera Amica by Pietro Mascagni was premiered here.
In 1911, Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes Diaghilev under the
patronage of the Prince of Monaco, Pierre. Anna Pavlova, Vaslav
Nijinsky, Tamara Platonovna Karsavina, George Balanchine, Sergei Lifar,
and later Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov danced here.
Palais de Monaco
Musée et Institut océanographique de Monaco
Musée de la Chapelle de la Visitation
Le Musée Naval de Monaco
Musée du Vieux Monaco
Musée d’anthropologie prehistorique de Monaco
Musée des timbres et des monnaies de Monaco
Musée de l’automobile de
Monaco / La Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco
Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
La Villa Paloma
La Villa Sauber
The Academy of Classical Dance was created in Monte-Carlo. It bears the name of the late former American actress and Princess Grace.
The Prince Pierre Fund, which Rainier III founded in honor of his father, annually awards the Grand Literary Prize, the Prince Rainier III Musical Prize and the International Prize in the field of modern art.
The Principality has twelve annual holidays. Easter Monday (French: le lundi de Pâques), Ascension Day (l’Ascension), Whit Monday (le lundi de Pentecôte) and Corpus Christi (la Fête Dieu) fall on a different date each year. If New Year's Day, May 1st, Assumption Day (l’Assomption), All Saints Day (la Toussaint), National Day (la Fête du Prince) or Christmas all fall on a Sunday, the following Monday is a public holiday.
The Club Alpin Monégasque (CAM), founded in 1911, is an Alpine club.
The Monaco Grand Prix was held for the first time in 1929, and
Formula 1 has been a guest in the principality every year since 1955
(with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Monte
Carlo Rally also takes place in the city-state.
With eight
championship titles, AS Monaco is one of the most successful football
clubs in the French league. The Monegasque football club plays in the
Stade Louis II in the Fontvieille district. The principality also has a
football team, but the Fédération Monegasque de Football is not a member
of UEFA or FIFA.
An ATP Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournament takes
place every spring. The games are played on sand. The Monte Carlo
Masters is one of the most important tournaments in men's tennis.
From 2005 to 2009, the Ironman 70.3 Monaco, a triathlon over half
the Ironman distance (1.9 kilometers swimming, 90 kilometers cycling,
21.1 kilometers running), took place in the principality every
September.
The Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera has taken place
in November since 1995.
The EPT Monte Carlo, which has been held
in the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel since 2005, is the most important annual
poker tournament in Europe.
Monaco has been the destination of
the Red Bull X-Alps since 2003.
Special Olympics Monaco was
founded in 1980 and has taken part in the Special Olympics World Games
several times.
Monegasque cuisine is Mediterranean. In addition to fish and meat
dishes, Italian cuisine is widespread. Monegasque dishes are usually
prepared with olives, tomatoes and onions.
A typical starter is
Barbajuan. This is a special type of small fried ravioli. There are
different local recipes for the filling; the Monegasque original, unlike
the Barbajuan from Menton, for example, always does not contain rice.
At Christmas, there is very often a Christmas bread (pain de Noël),
on which walnuts are arranged in the shape of a cross with an olive
branch.
The Principality of Monaco has been a hereditary constitutional
monarchy since 1911. Its system of government is a unicameral one and,
according to the Constitution of the Principality of 17 December 1962,
the legislative power belongs to the reigning sovereign in the role of
Head of State, who since 6 April 2005 is Albert II of Monaco, son of
Rainier III and Grace Kelly, already regent since March 31 of the same
year.
Executive power is exercised by the Government
(Gouvernement Princier), made up of the Minister of State (Ministre
d'État), the second office of the State, appointed by the reigning
prince from a list of candidates proposed by France, and by the Council
of Government (Conseil du Gouvernement Princier) which in turn presides;
this body is made up of five Ministries (Départements), represented by
as many ministers (Conseillers du Gouvernement Princier). The current
Minister of State is Pierre Dartout.
Legislative power is
exercised by the reigning prince and by the National Council (Conseil
National), the parliament made up of 24 members elected every 5 years by
direct universal suffrage elections and by list ballot by Monegasques
over the age of 21. This assembly votes the laws and the state budget,
meeting twice a year in ordinary session, and can be convened in
extraordinary session by the prince or at the request of 2/3 of the
members. The meetings are public and the report of the debates published
in the Official Gazette of Monaco. The prince has the initiative of the
law; therefore, bills are prepared by the Government and voted by the
National Council, but only the prince has the power of promulgation.
The judicial power belongs to the sovereign, who delegates its full
exercise to the courts and tribunals. In Monaco there is no Minister of
Justice, whose functions are managed by the Directorate of Judicial
Services (Direction des Services Judiciaires); the judges are
independent and the judicial organization of the principality is
complete. The judicial system refers to French law and makes use of the
activity of a Supreme Court (Tribunal Suprême), which deals with
constitutional aspects, administrative disputes and conflicts of
jurisdiction.
Then there are other administrative bodies:
Crown Council (Conseil de la Couronne): appointed by the Prince, it
includes 7 members of Monegasque nationality. The president and three
members of the Council are appointed by the sovereign. The three
remaining members are appointed on the proposal of the National Council.
It meets at least twice a year to deliberate decisions on matters
concerning the best interests of the state. It is compulsorily consulted
for international treaties, the dissolution of the National Council,
applications for naturalization and cases of pardon or amnesty;
Council of State (Conseil d'État): it is a consultative assembly made up
of 12 members designated by the prince, whose mission is to issue, at
the request of the prince, an opinion on draft laws and sovereign
ordinances.
Economic Council (Conseil Économique et Social): made up
of 30 members appointed by the prince and upon presentation by the
Government, the Patronal Federation and the Workers' Union (Union des
syndicats de Monaco). The Government can consult him on State economic
matters and his essential function is to foster dialogue between the
social partners.
A peculiarity about the principality concerned its fate in the absence of direct heirs of the reigning prince: in their absence, in fact, the Monegasque territory would have become French. Until 2002, to make up for this legislative loophole, it was only possible to issue an ordinance (Ordonnance Souvraine) which legitimized the assumption of the Grimaldi surname and coat of arms, for all male members who married a descendant of the aforementioned family. However, in 2002 an amendment to the Principality's Constitution issued by the Conseil National established that "in the absence of direct and legitimate descendants, the succession takes place for the benefit of the brothers and sisters of the reigning prince and their direct and legitimate descendants, in order of primogeniture, with precedence given to males with the same degree of kinship". This will allow the Principality of Monaco to remain a sovereign state even in the absence of direct heirs to the throne.
The Principality of Monaco is one of the few autonomous states in the
world that does not have a national army.
However, the Police de
Monaco, as the only police force in the principality, carries out a
widespread service throughout the territory. The body of the Police de
Monaco was founded in 1902 at the behest of Prince Albert I and since
1962 it has depended directly on the Minister of State. With over 500
police officers at its disposal, the Police de Monaco incessantly
patrols (by car or more often on foot) the streets and places of
greatest affluence and, supported by a complex system of video cameras,
constantly keeps the entire town under control and all the accesses to
it.
There is also a division named Police Maritime which operates
every year in the summer to patrol the waters and the major public beach
located in the Larvotto district.
Then there is the Prince's
Company of Carabinieri (Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince) which is a
special ceremonial military unit in service at the Palazzo dei Principi,
founded by Prince Honoré IV in 1817 with the name of Company of the
Guards. The military corps assumed its current name on 26 January 1904
following a reorganization desired by Prince Albert I and its task is to
protect the person of the sovereign prince and his family, especially on
solemn civil, military and religious. It is therefore present on every
public occasion within the principality where a member of the Grimaldi
family is present and often also makes use of the collaboration of the
Police de Monaco.
The principality can also count on the Corps
des Sapeurs-Pompiers, the firefighters, who have two operations centers:
in the Fontvieille and La Condamine districts.
The number to dial
for any type of emergency is 17.
Monaco has been a constitutional monarchy since 1911, in which the
reigning prince is the head of state. In the principality, he is usually
called patron ("protector") or monseigneur ("my lord").
The
succession to the throne is regulated in Article 10 of the Constitution
of the Principality of Monaco[19] and was last amended in 2002. The heir
to the throne is the first direct and legitimate descendant of the
prince, with priority given to male descendants in the same family
relationship. If the prince has no descendants, this rule applies to the
brothers and sisters or their descendants. If the heir to the throne
renounces the throne, his descendants take his place. The heir to the
throne of Prince Albert II is Albert's son Prince Jacques (* 10 December
2014), followed by his twin sister Princess Gabriella (* 10 December
2014). The previous rule that Monaco would have reverted to France if
there had been no heirs to the Grimaldi throne was abolished in the
second Monegasque-French agreement in 2002. Therefore, Monaco would
remain a sovereign state if the Grimaldi dynasty were to die out.
Prince Albert II has been in charge of Monaco's government since
April 2005, after his father Prince Rainier died on April 6, 2005. After
a customary period of mourning, Albert II was officially inaugurated
into his new office on July 12, 2005. He demonstratively dispensed with
the usual court ceremony in favor of a celebration designed to be close
to the people.
Since the constitutional amendment in 1962, the Prince has shared his governmental power with Parliament (Conseil National). This consists of 24 members who are elected for five years in free and secret elections. The Parliament was last elected on February 5, 2023. Regional matters that only affect the urban area of Monaco are decided by the municipal council, which has 15 elected members and is headed by Mayor Georges Marsan - or currently (as of January 2024) by Camille Svara following allegations of corruption against Marsan.
The executive consists of the government council, which consists of
four members who form the cabinet; the head of the government council is
the Minister of State.
Administrative divisions
The
distinction between the state and the city of Monaco is purely
theoretical, the state actually consists only of the city
(municipality). According to the constitution of 1911, the principality
was divided into three municipalities:
Monaco (Monaco-Ville, old town
with the prince's palace)
Monte-Carlo (northeast)
La Condamine
(west and northwest with the port area of Port Hercule)
The
accusation that the princely power was acting according to the principle
of divide and rule led to the three municipalities being merged into one
municipality in 1917. The original municipalities were then considered
city districts (quarters).
The fourth city district was Fontvieille,
which was created in the southwest from around 1970 by reclaiming new
land from the sea. On the French side, opposite is the ZAC (zone
d'aménagement concerté, roughly district development plan) of
Saint-Antoine.
The fifth city district was Les Moneghetti, created by
splitting off La Condamine.
The sixth city district was Larvotto,
split off from Monte-Carlo. The seventh district was La Rousse/Saint
Roman (with Le Ténao), also by separation from Monte-Carlo.
As a
result, three more districts were created:
Saint Michel (separated
from Monte-Carlo)
La Colle (separated from La Condamine)
Les
Révoires (separated from La Condamine)
The territory of the
Principality was reorganized on September 13, 2013 by a sovereign decree
and has since comprised nine districts. In general, all borders within
the Principality were changed, some slightly, some significantly. In
addition, the Jardin Exotique and Ravin de Sainte-Dévote districts were
newly created. The Monaco-Ville and Ravin de Sainte-Dévote districts are
considered "reserved sectors" (secteur réservé). "Secteur réservé" is a
term used in the context of urban planning in Monaco. A sovereign decree
of 1966 divided the principality into "secteurs réservés", i.e. areas
whose current character should be preserved, and "quartiers
ordonnancés", which are endowed with a town planning decree.
Currently (2022), a new urban district called Le Portier with an area of
0.275 square kilometers is being created by further land reclamation
off the coast of Monte Carlo. This urban district is scheduled to be
completed in 2025.
The urban districts are divided into 173
blocks (îlots) for statistical purposes.
They are only designated
by four-digit number sequences (a two-digit extension of the urban
district numbers) and do not have names.
Monaco as a city-state distinguishes between the state and municipal levels. At the municipal level, there is the municipal council (conseil communal), which consists of 15 members with Monegasque citizenship. The president of the municipal council is the mayor of the Principality of Monaco, Georges Marsan. In addition to the mayor, the municipal council consists of ten councilors and four municipal councilors. The members are elected by the Monegasque electorate for a period of four years. The last election for the municipal council took place on March 19, 2023. The term of office of the municipal council runs from 2023 to 2027.
In 2019, the Monegasque state budget included income (revenue) of
1.5237 billion euros and expenditure (expenditure) of 1.5199 billion
euros. The budget balance is therefore positive.
In 2006, the
share of government spending (as a percentage of gross domestic product)
on the following areas was:
Health: 4.5 percent
Education: 4.4
percent (2004)
Military: 0.0 percent (defense is mainly the
responsibility of France)
Relationship with France
Monaco's independence, which has existed
since February 25, 1489, was tied in the past to the existence of the
Grimaldi dynasty. A treaty with France stipulated until 2002 that if the
Grimaldi died out, Monaco would pass to France. There is a so-called
protectorate relationship under international law between France and
Monaco, which was established in a "protection treaty with France" of
July 17, 1918. In it, France guaranteed Monaco's independence and
sovereignty, and a consultation obligation was established for important
individual decisions in Monegasque foreign policy. Regarding the
Prince's succession, it states: "In the event of a vacancy of the crown,
for example due to the lack of a direct or adopted heir, the territory
of Monaco would form an autonomous state under the protectorate of
France." According to the agreement, the French government proposed
officials for several key positions in the Principality (head of
government, attorney general and police chief). The Minister of State
was chosen by the Prince from a list of three proposed by the French
government and always had to be a Frenchman. In October 2002, a new
version of the treaty was signed, which expanded Monaco's scope for
foreign policy but still required consultation on important issues. The
Prince is now free to choose the Minister of State, but requires the
consent of France.
Monaco has been a member of the United Nations since May 28, 1993,
applied to join the Council of Europe on October 21, 1998 and was
admitted on October 5, 2004. Due to its proximity to France, Monaco also
maintains close relations with the European Union and is a member of the
Schengen Agreement. Since January 7, 2000, the city-state has had a
representation at the European Union in Brussels.
In 2008, a
European Union commission once again criticized the principality's
inadequate understanding of democracy (in particular the weak position
of parliament). The government has countered the criticism previously
expressed about the inadequate fight against money laundering and
inadequate banking supervision with a number of measures introduced
since 2008. In addition to tightening laws, agreements on the exchange
of information have been concluded with a large number of countries,
including Germany in 2011. Monaco is a member of the global forum for
transparency and information exchange at the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD). Today, Monaco's willingness to
cooperate in the fight against money laundering is explicitly praised.
Monaco has three town twinning partnerships:
Ostend (West Flanders
province), Belgium, since 1958
Lucciana (Haute-Corse department),
France, since 2009
Dolceacqua (Liguria), Italy, since 2021
Public safety is ensured by a police force of 517 people. With 517
police officers per 38,100 inhabitants, Monaco has the highest per
capita police presence in the world, and statistically there is one
police officer for every 74 inhabitants. The police are divided into a
criminal investigation department that works with Interpol, a municipal
police department, an administrative unit, and a sea and air unit.
Since the military was abolished in 1889, Monaco's external defense
is largely taken over by France, although the principality maintains a
small military unit, the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers. This force, which
comprises 135 soldiers (10 officers, 26 non-commissioned officers, 99
enlisted men), is the third smallest in the world and mainly acts as a
fire brigade, but is also responsible for civil protection.
There
is also the 116-man (3 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers, 98
carabiniers) strong, paramilitary Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince.
As a gendarmerie, it is also assigned to the military and provides
personal protection for the prince and the guard of honour at the
palace. It also carries out protocol duties on special occasions and
state receptions. The company includes the Fanfare de la Compagnie des
Carabiniers du Prince (26 musicians under the command of a Maréchal des
logis) as well as a motorcycle squad and a diving unit. The military and
police are subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior; their tradition
goes back to 1817.
Monaco's government tries to ensure public
safety and cleanliness through video surveillance, among other things.
There are around 60 public security cameras in all parts of the
principality that are connected to the police headquarters; there is
also a significantly higher number of privately installed surveillance
cameras and around 500 private security employees. This is one of the
reasons why the principality is often accused of being a surveillance
state. Monaco has the lowest crime rate in the world.
In Monaco there has been no direct tax liability for private
individuals since 1869. The large proportion of wealthy immigrants has
made the principality a symbol of luxury and wealth. The majority of
income is generated through corporate taxation (including income tax),
fees (e.g. stamp duty, registration fees, or taxes on alcoholic
beverages and insurance contracts) and customs duties.
Monaco has
neither its own currency nor a central bank. There was a kind of
monetary union with France in which the Monegasque banks were subject to
the same rules as the French ones. In December 2001, Monaco concluded an
agreement with France to introduce the euro. The Monegasque euro coins
are derived from the French quota, which is set by the European Central
Bank.
According to Article 4(2) of the Union Customs Code, Monaco
is part of the customs territory of the European Union because of a
customs agreement with France.
On 28 January 2016, the European
Commission presented a package of measures "to combat tax evasion",
which included Monaco on the "black list" of tax havens. Charles de
Gaulle and Rainier III first agreed in 1962 to exempt French citizens
from tax exemption.
Freedom of the press exists in the Principality of Monaco. On the other hand, critical reporting on the royal family is not welcome and is limited in the local press. Commercial filming and photography require prior approval from the Ministry of the Interior.
At the beginning of the economic boom, gambling was the main
activity, which in turn increased tourism. From the second half of the
20th century, the financial sector took center stage.
In 2019,
Monaco had 57,867 jobs. Of these, 4,776 were employed in the public
sector and 53,091 in the private sector. This means that 57,867
employees are employed in a population of 38,100. The 53,091 jobs in the
private sector in 2019 were distributed as follows: 134 employees (0.3
percent) in the primary economic sector (primary production), 7,193
(13.5 percent) in the secondary sector (industry) and 45,764 employees
(86.2 percent) in the tertiary sector (services). Around 40,000 people
commute to work in Monaco every day.
One third of the population
are millionaires. In 2017, Monaco was the city with the highest density
of millionaires in the world. In March 2018, there were also four
billionaires living in Monaco.
In 2018, the gross domestic
product was 6.087 billion euros and 108,112 euros per employee. This
makes it the second richest country in the world after Qatar. Real
estate prices, however, are very high. In 2018, the average purchase
price was 53,000 euros per square meter, with some luxury properties
costing 100,000 euros per square meter.
In general, agriculture in the traditional sense practically no
longer exists due to the population density. However, in spring 2016,
Jessica Sbaraglia founded Terre de Monaco, a company dedicated to
organic farming. One year later, the areas planted by the young company
in Monaco (usually house roofs) covered 1,400 square meters.
Fishing, once important, now plays a marginal role in the economy as a
whole, but it still exists. Monaco is the smallest fishing nation in the
world, with around one tonne of catch per year.
Monaco is also called "Manhattan on the Mediterranean". This refers
to the constant construction activity (high-rise buildings). The new
district of Fontvieille was reclaimed from the sea as early as the 1970s
by filling it up. Another district called Le Portier, covering six
hectares, is under construction until 2025 and is being built on
artificial ground.
At the beginning of the millennium, a floating
concrete pier measuring 352 metres long, 28 metres wide and weighing
160,000 tonnes, including a smaller counterpart on the other side of the
harbour, was built in Spain and transported to Monaco by sea. This pier
serves mainly as a breakwater for the harbour and as a jetty, including
for the new generation of large cruise ships; inside it offers parking
spaces for 360 passenger cars and 25,000 cubic metres of storage space.
It is striking that there is constant construction activity in many
parts of Monaco, which sometimes leads to public disruption. This is due
to the country's very small area of 2.084 square kilometers. Due to
this lack of space, the principality is keen to use and build on every
open space in the territory as efficiently as possible. For example,
since the railway line was laid underground, the freed-up track areas
have been built on with high-rise buildings.
The real estate
market and the construction industry as well as many areas of public
life (football club, etc.) are dominated by the Pastor family empire
(around the company J.B. Pastor & Fils). Monaco is considered the most
expensive place in the world in terms of home ownership. In the fourth
quarter of 2010, a square meter cost an average of around 46,200 euros
and a 30-square-meter one-room apartment cost around 1.5 million euros.
Penthouses in Monte Carlo cost more than 100,000 euros per square meter.
With a price of just over 90,000 euros per square meter, the penthouse
apartment, which was under construction in 2014 and was the most
expensive in the world at the time, was in line with the national
average. With 3,300 square meters spread over five floors, it was to
cost over 300 million euros and is part of the Tour Odéon residential
complex.
In 2019, 4,776 employees had a job in the public sector. The majority
of employees were distributed between the government administration and
the Ministry of the Interior. The public service includes the following
authorities and officials:
Palace
Secretariats of the commissions,
assemblies and highest administrative authorities
Government
administration
State Ministry
Ministry of the Interior
Ministry
of Finance and Economic Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Ministry of Labor, Environment and Urban Planning
Ministry of Foreign
Relations and Cooperation
Ministry of Justice
Municipality (city)
Officials
Today, financial services are at the forefront of the Monegasque economy: in 2019, 30 credit institutions were registered and managed assets of around 133.8 billion euros. In a ranking of the most important financial centers in the world, Monaco ranked 54th (as of 2018). The country publishes quarterly figures like a commercial enterprise.
The number of tourists in 2010 was around 265,000.
In 2019,
the principality had twelve hotels, including four 2- to 3-star hotels,
four 4-star hotels and four 5-star hotels. Together, they offered 5,528
beds in 2,469 rooms. In 2019, the average occupancy rate of the hotels
was 65.9 percent (the highest rate was recorded in August at 84.2
percent and the lowest in December at 41.7 percent). In the same year,
377,493 arrivals, 930,481 overnight stays and an average of 2.5 days of
stay in hotels were registered.
Monaco is one of the Alpine states, has signed the Alpine Convention
and has its own Alpine club, the Club Alpin Monégasque (CAM).
The
newly created Via Alpina long-distance hiking trail, on which you can
hike through all eight Alpine states from Monaco to Trieste, was opened
on June 21, 2002 with a hike from the Place du Palais to La Turbie.
International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo
The International
Circus Festival of Monte Carlo takes place at the beginning of every
year. Under the patronage of Prince Albert, the best circus artists in
the world compete for the "Oscar of the circus world", the Golden Clown.
These days, Monaco is transformed into a huge circus with clowns,
artists and many different animals performing in the big top and filling
the streets and squares of the principality with life, which is a
contrast to the otherwise rather elitist life in Monaco.
The Place du Casino (affectionately called Camembert by the locals)
is one of Monaco's tourist centers in several respects. Firstly, because
of its very central location in the middle of the principality.
Secondly, the famous Hôtel de Paris and the famous Casino of Monte Carlo
are located there, and right next to it the magnificent opera house, all
of which impress with their historical architecture. Thirdly, the Casino
Square with its roundabout is the first port of call for tourists
visiting the principality on a cruise, as the ships dock directly below
the casino. In the summer months, the Place du Casino is a meeting point
for Monaco tourists from all over the world, especially on Friday and
Saturday evenings.
The second central tourist magnet in Monaco is
the old town of Monaco-Ville, which is known as Rocher (French for
rock). It is located on the so-called Prince's Rock, on which the
Prince's Palace, the political and private residence of the princely
family, is located. The old town of Monaco is, as is typical for the
principality, very densely built up; There are numerous restaurants and
souvenir shops in the narrow streets of the old town. Especially in high
season, the old town is very busy with tourists visiting Monaco and can
sometimes be described as overrun by tourists.
Monaco's exotic
open-air garden - Jardin Exotique - offers botanists a very large number
of different plant and tree species to view. The exotic garden is also
characterized by its location. It is located on the border with France
in the direction of Nice at a high altitude, from which a panoramic view
of the principality is offered.
The Oceanographic Museum is
located on the Rock of Monaco in Monaco-Ville and offers visitors a
wealth of oceanographic exhibits, including rare live marine animals in
aquariums. It houses around 4,000 species of fish and species from 200
families of invertebrates. The magnificent architecture of the museum
indicates that it was founded in 1910 by Albert I. The founder himself
worked as an oceanologist, whale researcher and teutologist. He was
involved in the discovery of a Lepidoteuthis grimaldii (a deep-sea scaly
squid), which was named after his Grimaldi family, which was considered
sensational at the time. The museum, which was built shortly afterwards,
was intended to present this discovery in a fitting manner. The location
directly 85 meters above the sea on a rocky cliff is also impressive.
Monaco's marinas are regularly popular tourist destinations, where
large private yachts owned by wealthy owners are anchored. The largest
port, Port Hercule, is located in La Condamine, along the public roads
used for the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix. Other marinas can be found
directly below the Prince's Rock in Fontvieille and on the opposite side
of Fontvieille towards Cap-d'Ail (France).
Monaco's public beach
is located in Larvotto, which is a very popular destination for locals
and tourists, especially in the warm summer months. The sand there is
coarse-grained and cannot be compared to fine, white sandy beaches in
other Mediterranean locations, and jellyfish in the water sometimes
disrupt bathing. Another relatively large public beach, which is quite
crowded in summer, is located directly behind Fontvieille, towards
Cap-d’Ail and on French territory.
As a contrast to the countless
concrete buildings in Monaco, several public gardens have been created,
some with exotic plants, palm trees and native and imported bird
species. Worth mentioning here is the Japanese garden, which is located
south of the Grimaldi Forum on Avenue Princesse Grace and is impressive
for its large plant life, delicate Japanese huts and bridges and ponds
with rare koi carp. Other gardens can be found in Fontvieille and in the
area between the Oceanographic Museum and the Prince's Palace.
The French Code Postal (postal code) system is used in Monaco, so the
entire principality has the postal code 98000 for regular postal
delivery. PO boxes and CEDEX[62] use postal codes in the 980XX range.
All other postal codes beginning with 98 refer to the French overseas
territories.
Monaco was assigned the area code +377 by the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on June 21, 1996. Until
then, the principality belonged to the French area code scheme, whose
landline numbers began with 93 (or +33 93 from abroad).
As a
special feature, this area code is also used by mobile phone providers
in other countries. Over 1.2 million mobile phone connections of the
provider PTK Vala in the Republic of Kosovo use the number range +377 4.
This belongs to Monaco Telecom, which also operates the network there.
In addition, it is also used by Lonestar Cell in the Republic of
Liberia.
Due to Monaco's small population, there is no diverse media
landscape.
RMC (Radio Monte Carlo), TVMonaco (Astra 19.2° East
11778 MHz vertical, symbol rate 29500 QPSK) and TMC Monte Carlo
broadcast around the clock. The stations are independent of the
government. Monaco also operates a state channel that broadcasts
important events and reports from the authorities. Monaco Info has been
broadcasting several hours a week since 1995.
The daily newspaper
for Monaco has the headline Monaco-Matin. The Monaco Hebdo is published
weekly, while L'Observateur de Monaco is a monthly magazine. The Monaco
Zeitung is published once a month for the German-speaking minority.
Important foreign newspapers are available.
Monaco has a very well-developed road network and intact road
surfaces. Due to the small size of the country, the relatively high
population, the high number of jobs and tourism, the traffic situation
is naturally tense, especially during rush hours. During peak season and
major events, traffic jams on the roads are often the result, as on many
roads on the Côte d'Azur. In contrast, Monaco has a large number of
public parking garages, almost all of which are built underground into
the rock.
There are seven bus lines in the Principality during
the day and two at night, operated by the Compagnie des Autobus de
Monaco (CAM) and serving all of Monaco's districts. If purchased on the
bus, a single ticket costs two euros and includes the bus boat to cross
the Port Hercule between the Quai des États-Unis and the Quai Antoine
1er. The Princely Administration of Monaco has declared its aim to
attract more passengers to public transport by offering low fares for
locals. A day ticket valid for 24 hours can be purchased for 5.50 euros
(as of June 2022) from vending machines, sales points and online and
includes unlimited use of the bus network until the end of operations on
the day of sale.
The underground Monaco-Monte-Carlo station is on
the Marseille-Ventimiglia railway line (France-Monaco-Italy), which runs
along the sea and connects places on the Côte d'Azur. The station is
operated by the French national railway company SNCF and is located just
above the harbor basin of La Condamine, which pedestrians can reach via
a pedestrian tunnel or an outdoor passage.
The nearest airport is
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, about 18 kilometers (as the crow flies), from
which helicopter connections are made to the Héliport de Monaco. Heli
Air Monaco is Monaco's national airline. Another airline is Monacair.
There are also regular private bus lines between Nice Airport and the
Principality. Marseille Provence Airport is 177 kilometers away (as the
crow flies).
Vehicles registered in the Principality receive a
license plate with light blue lettering on a white background.
The Principality of Monaco, despite its small size, is a cosmopolitan
state. Furthermore, the population density rate is the highest in the
world, with an average of 1.86 inhabitants per square decametre. It has
a presence of 38,800 inhabitants of which just 7,634 are Monegasques, or
20.1% of the population, so that the Principality of Monaco is one of
the European sovereign states with the lowest percentage of native
population.
The most important presence is that of the French
with 26.3% of the population, followed by the Italians (18.57%) and the
British (7.51%).
The remaining 24% includes about 140 different
nationalities.
France France, 8 435
Munich Munich, 8 218
Italy Italy, 5 558
United Kingdom United Kingdom, 2 378
Portugal
Portugal, 1 003
According to the provisions of the Constitution, Monegasque
citizenship is acquired by naturalisation, marriage, adoption or
filiation.
In the latter case, article 1 of the Law on
Citizenship makes use of the ius sanguinis, therefore the child born of
a Monegasque father is Monegasque. As far as the transmission of
citizenship from the mother's side is concerned, the legislative
framework is more complex; in fact, the person born:
to a mother born
in Monaco who still held citizenship at the time of birth;
to a
Monegasque mother with a Monegasque-born ancestor;
from a Monegasque
mother who acquired Monegasque nationality by naturalisation, by
reintegration or by option in application of law number 964 of 8 July
1975;
from a mother who acquired Monegasque citizenship following a
declaration preceded by simple adoption.
Unlike in the past,
being a resident or born in the Principality of Monaco does not entitle
you to acquire Monegasque citizenship. Only individuals born in Monaco
of unknown parents obtain Monegasque citizenship by birth; this is the
only case in which Monegasque law uses the ius soli, in addition to the
usual ius sanguinis.
Residents of the Principality of Monaco
benefit from advantageous tax conditions, such as the total absence of
any direct tax, with the exception of residents of French citizenship,
who are subject to French taxation following the tax convention of 18
May 1963. Hence the considerable interest in obtaining this residency
and its rights.
The Catholic religion is the official cult of the state, however
religious freedom is guaranteed.
The principality is the seat of
the archdiocese of Monaco, immediately subject to the Holy See and
governed by Archbishop Dominique-Marie David, since 21 January 2020. The
cathedral of the Immaculate Conception stands in the Old Monaco
district.
The patron saint of the principality is Saint Devota, a
Roman martyr whose veneration dates back to 300 AD. She is celebrated on
January 27 of each year by the faithful who flock to the small and
graceful chapel of the same name at the port, to then proceed with the
ritual burning of the boat duly filled with olive, pine and laurel
branches. Tradition has it that a thief, in ancient times, wanting to
take possession of the relics of the saint, was blocked fleeing on a
boat by some fishermen and that this was burned; the re-enactment of
this event is meant to symbolize the expiation of sins.
Another
venerated saint is Saint Romanus, a legionary martyred in 258 AD. during
the reign of Emperor Valerian; his anniversary is November 19th.
On the other hand, June 24 is dedicated to the anniversary of Saint John
the Baptist and for the occasion on the square of the Palais Princier
parades in historical costumes, dances and songs are held, while inside
the chapel of the palace, dedicated to Saint John, the Grimaldi family
attend a religious ceremony. Subsequently, two valets of the palace
light a large bonfire in the center of the square, around which it is
customary to dance the farandole, an ancient Provençal dance that
symbolizes the human journey through life's experiences.
The official language of the State is French but, due to the
international tourist vocation of the principality and the high presence
of foreign residents of various nationalities, Italian and English are
also widely spoken.
Monaco (monégasque or monéguier/muneghié), on
the other hand, is a Ligurian dialect similar to the Ventimiglia
dialect. It enjoyed the prerogative of official language together with
French until 1962 [citation needed], the year of the entry into force of
the new Constitution, and is optionally taught in the schools of the
principality. In the alleys of the old town, the street names are shown
in both French and Monegasque, as well as on the signs that delimit the
national borders.
Finally, Occitan is a known language,
especially until the mid-nineteenth century, when the territory of the
principality was more extensive, but in recent decades it has been
spoken very little.
Monegasque education depends on the Départment de l'Intérieur and is
free and compulsory from 6 to 16 years of age. Organized on the model of
the French one, it includes primary schools and seven-year lycées.
University
The principality of Monaco has its own university: the
International University of Monaco, founded in 1986.
In the
Fontvieille district there is also a private university with courses
exclusively in English, mainly oriented towards economic disciplines.
Sanitary system
From a medical point of view, the principality
offers an excellent level of health care service but, not being part of
the European Union, requires specific documentation or health insurance
policy for all non-resident foreign citizens.
The modern Center
Hôspitalier "Princesse Grace" polyclinic is located in the La Colle
district, made up of the hospital which is located in the principality
and of Cap Fleuri, located across the border in Cap-d'Ail. The facility
specializes in cardiac surgery and overall hosts 17 wards with over 600
beds.
In addition, the following private structures are based in
Munich:
Institut Monégasque de Médecine et Chirurgie Sportive (clinic
specializing in sports medicine)
Center Cardio-Thoracique (a world
renowned private cardiology clinic)
Center d'Hémodialyse (specialized
hemodialysis clinic)
Clinique "Ranieri III" (geriatric clinic)
Finally, the Monegasque Red Cross (Croix-Rouge Monégasque), or the
National Society of the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent, founded on 23 March 1948 by Prince Louis II, is located at 27
Boulevard de Suisse.
Vehicles and license plates
The Principality of Monaco issues its
own vehicle registration plates for all motor vehicles and motor
vehicles registered in its territory by persons or companies residing
there and on which road tax is in force.
They are recognizable by
their smaller size compared to other European plates and the blue
alphanumeric characters on a white background; to the side there is a
box, where the receipt of the road tax is applied annually in the form
of a sticker bearing the coat of arms of the principality and the
current year.
In addition to a whole series of plates intended
for particular uses (public transport, diplomatic corps, vintage cars,
test plates, temporary plates), there are also plates intended for
vehicles used by the Grimaldi family, distinguished by the letters "MC"
before the numbering and by the Grimaldi coat of arms next to it.
Since 2013, plates also include the initials "MC" in a blue
rectangle, in compliance with European Community standards.
Roads
and highways
The Principality of Monaco has no motorway section
within it and the closest motorway exit is the La Turbie exit "58" of
the Autoroute A8 "La Provençale", which is connected to Monaco via the
Autoroute A500, of owned by Autoroutes Esterel-Côte-d'Azur (ESCOTA); the
toll booth of the A8 is 8 km from the Principality of Monaco.
The
other connections with France are with the following departmental roads:
D 53 Monaco - Beausoleil
D 6307 Monaco - La Turbie
Furthermore, the D 6007 which goes from Menton to Mandelieu-la-Napoule
passes not far from the border with the Principality of Monaco.
Bus
The principality has its own urban transport company managed by
the CAM (Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco), founded in 1936.
The
company is made up of a fleet of 34 buses that manage 5 ordinary urban
lines, for a total of 43 km and 142 ordinary stops.
For users
over 65 years of age, the service is completely free.
Railroad
The Principality of Monaco is also crossed for 1.7 km by the railway
line, managed by the French company SNCF, the only station is that
Monaco - Monte Carlo which is partly located in the neighboring French
municipality of Beausoleil.
You bring
Renowned marina for
decades, destination of celebrities from all over the world, Port of
Hercules Port Hércule is the main port of call of the principality.
During the first years of the 21st century it underwent a major
expansion, which now also allows large cruise ships to dock, thanks to
the construction of a semi-mobile quay partly anchored in the water and
partly fixed to the mainland.
Not far away there is also a second
minor port, the port of Fontvieille, built in the seventies together
with the district of the same name.
Air connections
The
nearest airport is Nice Airport, 32 km away. In the principality there
is a well-equipped heliport on the seafront in the Fontvieille district
with two transport companies which guarantee capillary connections by
helicopter with the nearby "Nice Cote d'Azur" airport in just a few
minutes.
Another helicopter landing pad is located on top of the
Center Hôspitalier "Princesse Grace".
Postal Service
A first Monegasque postal delivery service began as
early as 1640 following a Franco-Monegasque friendship treaty.
The first Monegasque stamps were only printed from 1885 at the behest of
Prince Charles III. Since 1937, the postal service of the principality
has been managed by the company La Poste Monaco.
Founded at the
behest of Prince Louis II, the historic headquarters are at the Palais
de la Scala, in Avenue Henri Dunant and consists of 7 branches within
the principality.
The postal code of the Principality of Monaco
is, similarly to the French system, distinguished by the number 98000.
Telephony
As early as 1890, the principality was equipped with
the first public telephones managed by the Office Monégasque des
Téléphones.
In 1997 Monaco Telecom was born, which supplies the
principality's residents and businesses with the full range of products
and services of a telecommunications operator, holding a monopoly on
fixed-line telephony, internet access and television according to a
concession agreement stipulated between the Monegasque State and Monaco
Telecom.
The telephone company is a member of Eurecom and has
also developed on the international market by establishing various
commercial agreements with other players in the telecommunications
sector.
All calls made within the territory of the principality
are completely free.
Press and newspapers
There is only one
newspaper in the principality:
Monaco Matin (local edition of Nice
Matin)
Three weekly:
Le Journal de Monaco (the equivalent of
the Official Gazette)
Monk Hebdo
QE-Magazine
Five monthly:
The Principality
The Observer of Monaco
The Monaco Gazette
Montecarlo In (in Italian language)
WAP Munich
In addition to
numerous other periodicals.
Radio
In 1933, in the European
frequency plan, a radio wavelength was assigned to the Principality of
Monaco. At the end of the 1930s Max Brusset, former owner of Radio
Méditerranée, asked for authorization to found an entirely Monegasque
radio station based in the principality.
Thus was born RMC,
national radio of the principality and its exclusive broadcaster from
1943 to 1981. Since then RMC has grown into an editorial group at the
head of different radio stations broadcasting from Monaco and Paris to
the Principality of Monaco, France and the Middle East.
In 1966
an Italian-language radio channel of the same name was also born which
later, thanks to the direction of Noël Coutisson, became the independent
broadcaster Radio Monte Carlo with headquarters and studios in Milan,
Rome and Monaco, from which it broadcasts simultaneously on Italy,
Principality of Monaco and the French Riviera.
Its moment of
maximum splendor was between the end of the sixties and the
mid-seventies. The private broadcaster, free from the constraints of
traditional Italian radios, broadcast songs often censored by Rai,
helping to spread an informal language throughout the peninsula.
Purchased by the Finelco S.p.A. Group in 1987, since then it has become
part of a network that includes the major Italian private radio
stations.
Overall, the following radio stations are present in
the principality:
Monaco Info (broadcasts in French)
Radio Monaco
(98.2 MHz / 95.4, broadcasts in French language)
Radio FG Monaco
(96.1 MHz, broadcasts in French)
RMC (98.8 MHz, broadcasts in French)
Radio Monte-Carlo (92.7 / 101.6 MHz / 106.8 / 107.3 MHz, broadcasts in
Italian)
Riviera Radio (106.3/106.5 MHz, broadcasts in English)
Television
In the Principality of Monaco almost all the channels
of French television and some of Italian television can be received, in
addition there is Télé Monte-Carlo, also known only by the acronym TMC,
which is the national television broadcaster of the principality, as
well as the oldest broadcaster private television station in Europe,
founded in 1954 and inaugurated by Prince Rainier III. His first live
television broadcast was on the occasion of Prince Rainier III's Mariage
Princier with American actress Grace Kelly.
In the 1980s an
agreement was stipulated with France and the signal was strengthened,
which could be picked up as far as Montpellier.
After a period of
decline and downsizing during the nineties, the channel was relaunched
returning to a daily programming. Since 2001, the channel has taken on a
new format which has reduced its connotation as a Monaco network and has
become available via digital terrestrial.
TMC's target audience
is general entertainment and news dissemination.
Similarly to
what happened for the Monegasque radio station, in 1974 TMC also began
broadcasting its programs in Italian and a television station of the
same name was founded with headquarters in Milan, becoming one of the
first national networks in the nascent Italian private television
market. The Italian TMC was active until 2001, when it changed its name
to LA7.
There are also two other private television stations in
the principality: Monaco Channel and Monaco Info.
One of the most exclusive destinations in the world, the city is
characterized by a densely populated urban area which coincides with the
entire area of the Principality of Monaco. In addition to the Rocca (le
Rocher) and the Palazzo dei Principi, one of its characteristics is the
dense succession of various multi-storey buildings concentrated mainly
in the Larvotto district and in that of Monte Carlo, considered the true
geographical centre.
It houses the famous Sporting-Club, the Port
Hércule and the famous Casino, perhaps the best-known place, visited by
tens of thousands of people who try their luck and stay in the exclusive
Hôtel de Paris or at the no less well-known Hérmitage.
The urban
plan is complex and varied, with more or less pronounced curves and
gradients sloping down towards the seafront. However, a good road
organization, a series of tunnels and numerous underground car parks
make it quite easy to travel and park even with your own means.
The constant need for building space has led since the seventies to a
great expansion of its territory by subtracting space from the sea. The
most obvious example is the Fontvieille district where, together with an
industrial area and a second port, there is also the multipurpose
stadium named after Louis II.
Since the nineties, the city, in
constant ferment, has been affected by the construction of new
accommodation infrastructures and by expansion works in the areas
closest to the sea and in Port Hércule itself, which is now able to
accommodate even the largest cruise ships . In the La Rousse - Saint
Roman district, the Tour Odéon was built (2009-2015), the tallest
skyscraper in the principality at 170 m in height.
The city also
has several green areas, including the Japanese Garden, which is located
near the Grimaldi Forum.
The
Principality has no administrative subdivisions, but its entire
territory constitutes a single municipality which, however, has a legal
personality distinct from that of the State.
The four traditional
neighborhoods are:
Old Monaco, the original city, located on a rocky
promontory that extends over the Mediterranean, known as le Rocher (the
Rock);
La Condamine, the port area (Port Hércule);
Monte Carlo,
undoubtedly the most famous area of the principality, known for its
famous casino, social life and because its streets host the famous
Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix;
Fontvieille, the new residential area
that extends southwest, towards Nice, built almost entirely on an
embankment conquered from the sea.
Other sub-neighborhoods are
counted for statistical purposes:
Moneghetti (in the La Condamine
area);
Larvotto (in the Monte Carlo area), the easternmost area,
where the beaches and the famous Sporting Club are located;
La
Rousse/Saint-Roman (including Le Ténao), in the Monte Carlo area;
Saint Michel, in the Monte Carlo area;
La Colle, in the La Condamine
area;
Les Révoires (in the La Condamine area), the innermost area,
where the well-known exotic garden is located.
An eleventh
district, Le Portier, is being studied and should be built on an
expansion area towards the sea, in the area between Monte Carlo and
Larvotto. The project was abandoned in 2009 by Prince Albert II due to
the state of the principality's finances but new funds were subsequently
raised and the project was restarted.