Read all of JOY DODDS’ previous Mediterranean Musings – from Italy to Spain and France, and including gastronomic delights …
East of the French town of Beausoleil, the Monégasque kingdom of Monaco occupies a mere 195ha (1.95sqkm), slightly larger than the Vatican – yet hedonistic Monaco truly packs a punch.
In fact, it’s all glamour and glitz. From its medieval piracy beginnings, a tax-free municipality has been created to which tourists flock. Today Monaco oozes leisure, with cruising and luxury yachting hallmarks of its economy, as are prestige hotels and establishments devoted to wellbeing, such as the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo.
It’s tiny and divided into seven districts – but with a very ancient past. Le Rocher, a 60-metre high rock outcrop was occupied by a Ligurian tribe in the 6th century BC, when it was known as ‘Monoikos’, the origin of its name. Legend has it that in 1297 the Guelph, Francesco Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, took the Ghibeline fortress on Le Rocher by guile – and the Grimaldi dynasty had arrived. His act is celebrated in a stirring sculpture near the hilltop castle square. Doubtlessly, it is the most interesting precinct where the 13th Century Grimaldi Palace is located.
The Prince’s Palace, known as the State Apartments, is located in Monaco-Ville on Le Rocher, where the Changing of the Guard is staged every day at 11.55am sharp. During the warmer months, it is possible to visit the royal state apartments which overlook Port de Fontvieille. The Cathedral, the resting place of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, is accessed via an old brick ramp which leads up a steep hill from Place Aux Armes, where a rowdy fruit and vegetable market operates daily.
The Royal Palace
Monte Carlo was actually named after Prince Charles III, who oversaw the opening of gaming rooms to augment his (then) declining finances, later to become one of Monaco’s hallmarks. The casino is a major target for visitors, open to those aged over 18 with passport ID. Apart from the casino and the luxury yachts moored at La Condamine, there is plenty to see in Monaco.
Facing the Casino near Portier Mirabeau is the prestigious Hotel de Paris and its famous restaurant Le Louis XV, of Alain Ducasse Michelin fame, its 400,000-bottle wine cellar inside the hotel said to be the world’s largest. Nearby is the also luxurious Hotel Hermitage. For an absolute pampering, make an appointment at the luxury Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo with its seawater swimming pool, solarium and treatment rooms, accessed via a subterranean walkway from the Hotel de Paris for those who like to operate incognito!
And Monaco has much more to offer. The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium, the finest oceanic museum in Europe, opens all year apart from Christmas Day and the Grand Prix. The Musée Oceanographique features an aquarium stacked with sharks and other marine predators, as well as friendlier species. At Moneghetti there are the prehistoric grottoes of the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology and the Observatory Cave, with its stalagmites and stalactites. The new National Museum of Monaco in Monte-Carlo includes Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber. In addition to its Exotic Garden, the Princess Grace Rose Garden and the Fontvieille Landscaped Gardens are beautiful. Fontvieille was reclaimed from the sea last century.
Monaco is also renowned for its Formula One Grand Prix at the end of May, as well as the Tennis Masters (April) and Fete de la St Jean, a costume festival on June 23. Salle Garnier holds a variety of concerts, opera and ballets. Foremost among its hotels, apart from the recently renovated five-star Hotel de Paris and the neighbouring Hermitage, are Hotel Metropole and the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel. Generally accommodation prices are significantly lower than those in France.
Despite the glitz, the old town of Monaco has its share of quaint old streets and a cathedral built from the white stone of nearby La Turbie. The two towns which comprise the principality, Monaco-ville and Monte Carlo, are each built on a rocky promontory joined by La Condamine, the port located down in the valley between the two.
Within Monaco, it is normal to use the many public lifts (ascenseurs publiques) which run up and down the hillsides.There are two rail stations in Monaco and all trains stop at Monaco/Monte Carlo railway station, including one TGV (high-speed train) which connects Paris and Monaco in six hours. A train journey along the coast is a magnificent experience with the sea and the steep mountains. For the best vistas of this stretch of the Mediterranean, continue along the Upper Corniche via the hilltop village of La Turbie, on the ancient boundary between Italy and Gaul. From here, there are unforgettable views over the principality of Monaco on the Bay of Hercules.
The Grimaldi dynasty remains fundamental in Monaco life. In 2005, upon the death of his father, Rainier III, Prince Albert II became sovereign of the Principality. In 2011 he wed South African Charlene Wittstock. Today, Monaco’s population numbers exceeds 36,000, including about 8000 Monegasque citizens. While French is the official language, the traditional Monegasque language continues to be taught in schools in a society where traditions are valued.
Traditions run strong in the tiny state. According to legend, Devota (Dévote in French), a young Christian woman from Corsica, was martyred by the Prefect Barbarus under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian in 304 AD. Her body was stolen during the following night by believers, placed in a boat and transported to Monaco, where it was buried in a chapel in a valley known as the ‘Gaumates’ near the port, on January 27 of the same year. Under Honoré II, in the 17th century, Saint Devota became patron saint of Monaco. The tradition has been perpetuated each year since 1874 – a boat is burned on a pyre in the presence of the Sovereign and the Princely Family, accompanied by Monegasque dignitaries. Once the boat has been burned, fireworks are let off on Port Hercule.
During the Festival of the Sovereign, in mid-November, Monegasques and local residents celebrate the Prince and the traditions of a community that has been united for more than seven centuries. For two days, the country beats to the rhythm of ceremonies including the bestowing of honours, military parades in the Cour d’Honneur at the Palace, a gala concert and a mass in Monaco Cathedral as well as festivities, including performances and entertainment. For the traveller, it is a chance to discover a principality that is both solemn and convivial, decked out in red and white flags in the national colours, and decorated with flowers, more so than at any other time of the year.
Postage stamp size, yes, but the principality of Monaco certainly packs a princely and panoramic punch!
GETTING THERE:
Transfers from Nice-Cote d’Azur Airport by helicopter take only 7 minutes or by bus (Ligne d’Azur), every 30 minutes, the journey takes 45 minutes.TGV (high-speed train) from Paris takes 6 hours or Milan/Genoa (2.5 hours). Regional Express Trains (TER) serve the towns along the coast from Ventimiglia/Menton to Cannes.
