In 1297, Francis Grimaldi left his home in Genoa and approached the castle of Monaco, home to the Spinolo family, dressed in the guise of a monk seeking shelter. After slaying the patriarch by the sword, he began a dynasty that continues to this day, the principality of Monaco.
By the 1850’s the Princes of Monaco were almost bankrupt, thanks to the loss of the village of Menton from the principality, which had supplied the main stream of revenue to the area from its citrus and olive crops (see yesterdays post).
In 1856, Charles III of Monaco gave consent for a sea-bathing facility for the treatment of various diseases, and the building of a German-style casino in Monaco. The initial casino was opened in La Condamine (a different part of the Principality) in 1862, but was not a success; its present location in the area called "Les Spelugues" (The Caves) of Monte Carlo, came only after several relocations in the years that followed. The success of the casino grew slowly, largely due to the area's inaccessibility from much of Europe. The installation of the railway in 1868, however, brought with it an influx of people into Monte Carlo and saw it grow in wealth.
On April 28th, 2011, Paul Jarsky and Fred Gordon, seeing no sun in the village of Menton, took the train into the Principality (now reined over by the dashing Prince Albert II) for a bite of lunch. It ended up being a day long adventure, which I am pleased to report saw no rain and a fine lunch at a restaurant in one of the narrow streets of Monaco, next to the Palais de Princes.
The principality is a really interesting little place. The train station is in a tunnel carved out of the mountain. The Palais, (by Royalty standards a bit on the small side) is actually an interesting asymmetrical mix of architectural styles that encompasses a Genoa fortress with a 18th century façade and other additions. There is a square in front of it, and then the mix of the narrow streets where we had our lunch. The Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Where The Grimaldis are entombed – Including Rainier and Princess Grace) and Oceanographic society (Yes, of Jacques Cousteau fame) are all located on the heights “on the rock.” This affords a spectacular view of Monte Carlo, the bay and the shore across to Roquebrun and Menton.
As an FYI, around here the country is pronounced MON AK OH, not MON A CO the way we all say it. Citizens of Monaco pay no taxes and are called Monagesque ( MON AH GESK).
Today’s photos are from the top: Monaco Train Station, Me in the botanical park (looks like the tan is coming along nicely!), Prince’s Palace, Princess Grace’s tomb, Oceanographic building
Today was hazy/cloudy, but still 22C.
BTW, this whole Prince William/Kate Middleton thing has gotten completely out-of-hand!
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