The early history of Monaco is primarily concerned with the protective and strategic value of the Rock of Monaco, the area's chief geological landmark, which served first as a shelter for ancient peoples and later as a fortress. Part of Liguria's history since the fall of the Roman Empire, from the 14th to the early 15th century the area was contested for primarily political reasons. Since that point, excepting a brief period of French occupation, it has remained steadily under the control of the House of Grimaldi.[1]
According to the accounts of historian Diodorus Siculus and geographer Strabo, the area's first permanent settlers were the mountain-dwelling Ligures, who emigrated from their native city of Genoa, in what is now northern Italy. However, the ancient Ligurian language is not directly connected to the Gallo-Italiclanguage spoken by the modern inhabitants of Liguria, of which Monegasque is a dialect.
Phoenician colonization and Melqart
"According to some authorities, the Egyptians of the Eighteenth Dynasty, according to others, the early Phoenicians were the first commercial navigators," who found refuge in the Port of Monaco from the mistral of the sea. The Port and Rock of Monaco were consecrated by the Phoenicians in the name of their deity Melqart. The colony was called Monoike. After the Phoenicians, the Greeks wrote about the progress and conquests of the journeys and labors of Hercules. The native Ligurian people asserted that Hercules passed through the area.[2]
Greek colonization and Herculean legend
During the 6th-century BC, Phocaeans from Massalia (modern day Marseille) founded the colony of Monoikos.[3] The name of the colony derives from the local veneration of the GreekdemigodHeracles, also later adopted by the Romans, who was said to have constructed the ancient path that passed through the region from Spain to Italy.[3] The Roman emperorJulian also wrote of Hercules's construction of Monaco's port and a coastal road.[4] The road was dotted with altars to Heracles, and a temple dedicated to him was established on the Rock of Monaco. The name Port Hercules was subsequently used for the ancient port.[3]Monoeci meaning "Single One" or Monoikos meaning "Single House" could be a reference to Hercules or his temple, or the isolated community inhabiting the area around the rock.[3]
According to the "travels of Heracles" theme, also documented by Diodorus Siculus and Strabo, both Greeks and native Ligurian people asserted that Hercules passed through the area.
Roman rule
The division of the Empire after the death of Theodosius I, c. 395 AD, superimposed on modern borders.
The Roman poet Virgil called it "that castled cliff, Monoecus by the sea".[5] The commentator Servius's use of the passage[6] asserts, under the entry portus, that the epithet was derived:
either because Hercules drove off everyone else and lived there alone, or because in his temple no other of the gods is worshipped at the same time.
No temple to Hercules has been found at Monaco.[7]
Monaco remained under Roman control until the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The city was then under the domain of Odoacer until his fall at the hands of the Ostrogoths in the late 5th century. Monaco was recaptured by the Romans during the reign of Justinian in the mid-6th century and was held until its capture by the Lombards in the 7th century. Monaco then passed hands between the Lombards and Franks. After having been damaged by the Saracens in the 8th century, it was rebuilt by the monks of Saint-Pons in Nice, who held it territorially starting from 1075. The city was further damaged and nearly abandoned as Saracen raids continued after they had put under their control a part of Provence with a base at Fraxinetum. Monaco is again mentioned in the 11th century, when the church of St. Mary was built and a borough rose around it.
In 1191, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VI granted suzerainty over the area to the city of Genoa. On 10 June 1215, a detachment of Genoese Ghibellines led by Fulco del Cassello began the construction of a fortress atop the Rock of Monaco. This date is often cited as the beginning of Monaco's modern history.
As the Ghibellines intended their fortress to be a strategic military stronghold and center of control for the area, they set about creating a settlement around the base of the Rock to support the garrison; in an attempt to lure residents from Genoa and the surrounding cities, they offered land grants and tax exemption to new settlers.
Rise of the Grimaldis
Overview of the Genovese trading empireOverview of Crown of Aragon
The Grimaldis, descended from Otto Canella and taking their name from his son Grimaldo, were an ancient and prominent Guelphic Genoese family. Members of this family, in the course of the civil strife in Genoa between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, took refuge in Monaco, accompanied by various other Guelphic families, most notably the Fieschis.
Francesco Grimaldi seized the Rock of Monaco in 1297, starting the Grimaldi dynasty, under the sovereignty of the Republic of Genoa. The Grimaldis acquired Menton in 1346 and Roquebrune in 1355, enlarging their possessions. In 1338 Monegasque ships under the command of Carlo Grimaldi participated, along with those of France and Genoa, in the English Channel naval campaign. Plunder from the sack of Southampton was brought back to Monaco, contributing to the principality's prosperity.[10]
The principality was re-established in 1814, only to be designated a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and the Treaty of Stupinigi in 1817. Monaco remained in this position until 1860, when by the Treaty of Turin, Sardinia ceded to France the surrounding county of Nice (as well as Savoy).
With the protectorate, that lasted nearly half a century, Italian was the official language of Monaco. The Monégasque dialect is closer to Ligurian than French, but influenced by both.
During this time there was unrest in the towns of Menton and Roquebrune, which declared independence, hoping for annexation by Sardinia and participation in the Italian Risorgimento. The unrest continued until the ruling prince gave up his claim to the two towns (some 95% of the country), and they were ceded to France in return for four million francs. This transfer and Monaco's sovereignty was recognised by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861.
Map of the territory of the "Free cities of Mentone and Roccabruna" (light blue) and the territory of Monaco (orange) in 1848. Those territories were the Principality of Monaco from the Renaissance until that year.
Designated as a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna after Napoleon's defeat, Monaco's sovereignty was confirmed by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. France accepted the existence of the Principality of Monaco, but annexed 95% of its former territory (the areas of Menton and Roquebrune). Monaco's military defense since then has been the responsibility of France.
The Casino of Monte Carlo opened in 1863, organized by the Société des bains de mer de Monaco, which also ran the Hotel de Paris. Taxes paid by the S.B.M. have been plowed into Monaco's infrastructure. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railway link to France.
20th century
The Prince of Monaco was an absolute ruler until the Monegasque Revolution of 1910 forced him to proclaim a constitution in 1911.
In July 1918, a treaty was signed providing for limited French protection over Monaco. The treaty, written into the Treaty of Versailles, established that Monegasque policy would be aligned with French political, military, and economic interests. One of the motivations for the treaty was the upcoming Monaco Succession Crisis of 1918.
While Prince Louis II's sympathies were strongly pro-French, he tried to keep Monaco neutral during World War II but supported the Vichy French government of his old army colleague, Marshal Philippe Pétain.
Nonetheless, his tiny principality was tormented by domestic conflict partly as a result of Louis's indecisiveness, and also because the majority of the population was of Italian descent; many of them supported the fascist regime of Italy's Benito Mussolini.
Under Prince Louis's secret orders, the Monaco police, often at great risk to themselves, warned in advance those people whom the Gestapo planned to arrest.[citation needed] The country was liberated, after German troops had retreated, on 3 September 1944.
The revised Constitution of Monaco, proclaimed in 1962, abolished capital punishment, provided for female suffrage, established a Supreme Court to guarantee fundamental liberties and made it difficult for a French national to transfer his or her residence there.[16]
In 1993, Monaco became a member of the United Nations with full voting rights.[17]
21st century
View of Monaco in 2016
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarified that if there are no heirs to carry on the dynasty, the Principality will remain an independent nation, rather than be annexed by France. Monaco's military defence, however, is still the responsibility of France.[18]
Monaco's mild climate[20] with historical sites and modern gambling casinos,[21] make Monaco a popular tourism and recreation centre in the 21st century, with 4.1 tourists per resident as of 2020.[22]
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is widely recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. The official language of the principality is French. In addition, Monégasque, English and Italian are spoken and understood by many residents.
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Monaco City is the southcentral ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, it is nicknamed The Rock. The name "Monaco City" is misleading: it is not itself a city, but a historical and statistical district. It holds most of the country's political and judicial institutions: the Prince's Palace, the town hall, the government, the National Council, the Municipal Council, the courts and a prison.
"Hymne Monégasque", also known as "A Marcia de Muneghu", is the national anthem of Monaco. It was originally adopted in 1848 with French lyrics by Théophile Bellando de Castro and music by Bellando and Castil-Blaze. The current official lyrics, which are in Monégasque, were written in 1931 by Louis Notari, while the current musical arrangement was composed in 1914 by Léon Jehin.
The House of Grimaldi is the current reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The house was founded in 1160 by Grimaldo Canella in Genoa and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 1297.
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, simply Roquebrune until 1921, is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France, between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in neighbouring Var.
Monégasque is the variety of Ligurian spoken in Monaco. It is closely related to the Ligurian dialects spoken in Ventimiglia and is considered a national language of Monaco, though it is not the official language of the country, which is French. Monégasque has been officially taught in the schools of Monaco since 1972 and was made a compulsory subject in 1976, but is the native language of only a handful of people.
Charles III was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 20 June 1856 to his death. He was the founder of the famous casino in Monte Carlo, as his title in Monegasque and Italian was Carlo III. He was born in Paris, the only son of Florestan, Prince of Monaco, and Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz.
Mentonasc is a Romance dialect historically spoken in and around Menton, France. It is classified as a dialect of Occitan and a sub-dialect of Vivaro-Alpine, with some influence from the neighbouring Intemelian Ligurian dialect spoken from Ventimiglia to San Remo.
The Franco-Monégasque Treaties of 1861, 1918, and 2002 are the basis of the relationship between the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco. The treaties define Monaco's independent status and sovereignty, as well as the rights of succession of the princely House of Grimaldi.
The County of Nice is a historical region of France located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent to the modern arrondissement of Nice.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed on 15 November 1524, ratified the treaty of Burgos, signed on 7 June 1524 between the Lord of Monaco and the House of Habsburg. The treaty placed Monaco under the protection of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, as an imperial fief. As a consequence, the Lord of Monaco became subservient to Charles as his vassal and it was the beginning of some sort of Imperial and Spanish protectorate over Monaco.
The Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family who first captured it in 1297. The Grimaldi ruled the area first as feudal lords, and from the 17th century as sovereign princes, but their power was often derived from fragile agreements with their larger and stronger neighbours.
The postal history of Monaco can be traced to the principality's first postmark in 1704. Stampless covers are known with both manuscript and handstamp postmarks for Monaco and Fort d'Hercule ; as the principality was once much larger, postmarks of the communes of Menton and Roquebrune prior to their 1848 secession might also be included. Monaco used Sardinian stamps from 1851 until 1860, when by the Treaty of Turin, Sardinia ceded to France the surrounding county of Nice and relinquished its protectorate over Monaco; French stamps with Monaco or Monte-Carlo postmarks were used thereafter. Two forms of cancellation are known for the French period. With the first, the postmark is on the cover away from the stamps; an obliterator with an identifying post office number 4222, or later 2387, inside a diamond of ink dots cancelled the actual stamps. The second applied the postmark directly on the stamps, as both a date stamp and cancel. All of these postal forerunners, particularly usages of Sardinian stamps with Monaco cancels, are far more valuable than the same stamps postally used in the issuing countries.
Franco-Monegasque relations are the special relationship between France and Monaco.
Conscription in Monaco existed during a brief time between 1848 and 1870 when the Monégasque Militia was active. Since then, Monégasque citizens have been exempt both from conscription and direct taxation.
The Treaty of Stupinigi was signed on November 8 and 10 1817, in Stupinigi between Honoré V, Prince of Monaco, and Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia.
Holy See–Monaco relations are bilateral relations between the Principality of Monaco and the Holy See. The principal Monégasque official is Ambassador Claude Giordan, who officially started at his position in November 2015. The Holy See is represented by its Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Arcari, who assumed office on May 25, 2019. The Embassy of Monaco to the Holy See is located in Rome, on Largo Spinelli. The Apostolic Nunciature to Monaco is non-residing as the nuncio currently resides in Rome.
The Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune was the name given to the union of the two free cities of Menton and Roquebrune during the Revolutions of 1848 related to the Italian Risorgimento. They came into existence after seceding from the Principality of Monaco in May 1848. After a brief period of autonomy from, the free cities became protectorates of the Italian kingdom of Sardinia in May 1849.
↑ Grinda, Georges (2010). The Principality of Monaco: State, International Status, Institutions. Translated by Duursma, Jorri C. (2nded.). T.M.C. Asser Press. ISBN978-9067043328.
Velde, François. "Monaco". Heraldica. Retrieved March 25, 2005.
Further reading
Published in the 19th century
C. B. Black (1896), "Monaco Station", The Riviera: or, The coast from Marseilles to Leghorn, including the interior towns of Carrara, Lucca, Pisa, and Pistoia, London: Adam & Charles Black, pp.86–87
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