Monaco - information about the country, attractions, history. Monaco Monaco head of state and official language

“The Key to the City” is a series of guides to city-states that live by their own laws, are proud of their own heroes, celebrate and dress in mourning out of step with the rest of the world. Three materials are dedicated to Monaco - the city of millionaires, Macau - the Chinese copy of Porto and Melilla - the exclave of Spain in Morocco, built by a student of Gaudi. The special project was prepared with the support of the urban planning company "A101 DEVELOPMENT".

It’s hard to believe that today in some country in the world, newspaper editorials and the main pages of news sites gossip about the guests of charity receptions, are touched by everyday events in the life of the princely family and make noise about the latest results of the local football club. But nevertheless, such a country exists - this is the Principality of Monaco. The tiny city-state is considered synonymous with luxury living: for many decades, wealthy people from all over the world have come to Monaco for the weekend to lose fortunes in the casinos, drive around the Cote d'Azur in a convertible and wash down the dishes of Michelin-starred chefs with collectible champagne.

Building Boom

In addition to cinematic landscapes and an ideal climate with 300 sunny days a year, businessmen are attracted to Monaco by a specific tax system. Citizens here do not pay income tax, and the city-state collects taxes on the activities of foreign companies and resident entrepreneurs at a preferential rate. It is because of this that at the beginning of the 20th century, almost immediately after Monaco gained independence, financiers, bankers and industrialists poured here with all their capital.

The population of the country began to increase before our eyes, and with it the income of the principality grew. However, there is no sky without a cloud. Monaco is not without reason called a dwarf state - its area is only two square kilometers (half the size of New York's Central Park). It is not difficult to guess that after the influx of people wishing to become subjects of Monaco, land suitable for construction became less and less. This is how a real construction boom began in Monaco - here and there multi-storey residential and office buildings made of glass and concrete began to grow.

The profitability from the construction of skyscrapers in Monaco is 100 percent, so construction in the principality does not stop for a single day. Living space here, despite the highest prices in the world (one square meter costs an average of 17 thousand euros!), is literally incredibly popular. Apartments in new buildings in Monaco are considered a profitable investment and never sit idle waiting for a buyer. However, very often no one lives in the purchased apartments for years - in this sense, Monaco can be called a country of empty houses.

Who lives in a microcity

Thanks to the attraction of foreign capital and active construction, Monaco is one of the most densely populated countries on the planet - almost 36 thousand people live in the principality. About half of them are French, a quarter are native Monegasques, and the remaining residents represent 125 different nationalities. Despite the fact that Russians are not numerous here, Russian names are often heard in Monaco. In the 2000s, residents of Rublyovka, or rather their wives, organized countless balls and parties in the principality, investor Dmitry Rybolovlev bought the Monaco football club in 2011, and Abramovich’s yacht consistently does not fit into the small harbor of the principality.

Casino Monte Carlo

Today, the city-state is divided into ten small districts, and local authorities plan to build an 11th one on the drained sea territories. But all social life in Monaco largely revolves around two buildings: the palace in the old town, where the Prince of Monaco and his wife live, and the famous casino, which is located in the Monte Carlo area.

It was the casino that at one time brought the principality its fame and wealth. In the mid-19th century, entrepreneur François Blanc opened a gambling house on the rocky cliffs of Monaco, around which the city of Monte Carlo quickly grew with its gardens, beaches, hotels, seaport and railway. Since card games and roulette were banned in many other countries around the world, and Las Vegas in its current form did not exist at all, the casino in Monaco quickly became a favorite vacation spot for many world-famous rich people. When they came here, they left six-figure sums in hotels, restaurants and casinos - income from the gambling business increased the state budget of Monaco.

Today Monaco exists mainly due to tourism, construction and a large number of foreign resident companies. Gambling brings in far less revenue for Monaco than in the old days, although the casino certainly has great symbolic significance for the big-money country.

Transport networks in Monaco

To get to Monaco you only need 1.5 euros - that’s how much a bus ride from neighboring Nice costs. A train ticket will cost a little more - 4 euros, but it is an excellent reason to visit the Monaco train station. The railway station, along with the princely palace and the Jacques Cousteau Museum of Oceanology, is considered one of the main attractions of the principality - it is built into a rock on a hill, its halls are decorated with white marble, and special lighting creates the effect of a golden glow. You can exit the station in two opposite directions - to the old town or to the casino area.

Monaco is a small but multi-level country. For the convenience of pedestrians, seven escalator elevators were built here, which can take you from the embankment to the old city. You can also get around Monaco by bus. There are only three intra-city routes, they run according to a strict schedule and quite rarely - about once every half hour. There are five tourist routes in Monaco. A day pass will cost 3.5 euros, for which you can see all the most interesting places in the country.

Of course, the most convenient way to get around Monaco is by car. The city-state is equally famous for its beautiful roads and the luxury cars driving along them, and not only during the Formula 1 car race. However, the roads of Monaco are famous not only for their beautiful views, but also for their steep serpentines. On one of them, the tenth princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, lost control of the car and died: the car in which the princess and her daughter were driving fell off a cliff.

Grace Kelly

American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco met at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 and exchanged love letters for a year, after which Rainier went to Philadelphia to ask Grace's hand in marriage from her parents. A couple of weeks later, a solemn wedding ceremony took place in Monaco, turning the Queen of Hollywood into the Princess of Monaco.

It didn’t take much time for the residents of the principality to fall in love with Grace Kelly: she always looked great, was well-mannered and shone at social events, did charity work, and during her appearances with the people anyone could shake her hand. In addition, its worldwide fame led to a second wave of popularity for Monaco, where rich people finally began to come not only for the casinos and yacht clubs.

In September 1982, Grace Kelly, who always traveled with a personal driver, decided to drive a car herself under the pretext of a serious conversation with her daughter Stephanie. All the way the princess complained of a migraine, then exclaimed that she could not see anything and confused the brake with the gas, sending the car down the cliff. The day after the accident, Grace Kelly died. Members of royal families, famous film actors and representatives of foreign governments came to say goodbye to the princess. The streets of Monaco were filled with mourning residents, and an estimated 100 million more watched the funeral on television.

Many years have passed since the death of Grace Kelly, but her dedication and kindness are still remembered by the people of Monaco and the rest of the world. One of the central streets of the principality is named in her honor, and the princess’s grave in the Grimaldi family crypt is visited by thousands of tourists every year.

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MONACO, The Principality of Monaco, one of the smallest states in the world (area 1.95 sq. km). Located in the south of Europe, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea (coastline length 4.4 km), near the border of France and Italy. On the land side it is surrounded by the territory of the French department of the Alpes-Maritimes (border length 4.1 km). Geographic coordinates: 43° 44" N, 7° 24" E.

The territory of Monaco consists of the merged city-districts of Monaco, Monte Carlo, La Condamine and Fontvieille. The city of Monaco - the capital of the country (1.5 thousand inhabitants) - is picturesquely located on the leveled surface of a rocky outcrop of the Maritime Alps, built up with ancient buildings. Its main attractions are the princely palace (a 13th century Genoese fortress rebuilt in the 16th century); Oceanographic Museum (founded in 1899) with its existing institute; An exotic garden located on the almost vertical slopes of the Dog's Head rock; chapel La Misericorde (17th century); pseudo-Romanesque Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (19th century); Anthropological Prehistoric Museum, etc. La Condamine (13 thousand inhabitants) is an area of the port, banks, shops, hotels, representative offices of companies and corporations, enterprises, hotels and beaches. It also houses the national library and stadium. Monte Carlo (13 thousand inhabitants) was officially founded in 1866. It houses a world-famous casino, hotels, branches of banks and concerns, beaches with swimming pools and baths, an opera house (1878–1879), the National Museum of Fine Arts with paintings by Renaissance masters , Philharmonic Orchestra, etc. Fontvieille is a new industrial center, officially created in 1981 on plots of land reclaimed from the sea.

Nature.

Monaco is located on an elevated sea coast formed by limestone mountains, which represent the southern extension of the Alpes-Maritimes. Cape Monaco is rocky and protrudes far into the sea, La Condamine is a small open bay. The surface relief is hilly, rugged, rocky. The highest point is Mont Agel (140 m).

Climate Climate

Mediterranean: moderately warm winters (average January temperature +8°C) and dry sunny summers (average July temperature +24°C). The number of sunny days per year is about 300. Unstable weather and drizzling rains, which usually last no more than 3 days, are brought by a strong east or south wind from the sea “marin”. A gusty, dry and cold “mistral” wind blows from the interior of France, bringing a drop in temperature. The Maritime Alps protect Monaco from the cold northern winds. In summer, sea breezes have a cooling effect on the coast. Thanks to its mild climate, Monaco is a popular resort. Average annual precipitation is 1300 mm. They fall mainly in the fall.

The conditions of dry summer and autumn-spring rains in Monaco resulted in the formation of brown soils with hard-leaved xerophytic vegetation, as well as red-colored terra rossa soils. Brown forest soils are found in the mountains.

Flora - Mediterranean type: kermes and holm oaks, boxwood, juniper, pine, black and Aleppo pine, olive, fig, bladderwort, Spanish gorse, jasmine, sarsaparilla, varieties of butcher's broom and asphodelina, lilies (grape, mother of pearl, yellow onion, poultry leaf ), Montpelier and sage cistus. Among the plants of the Western Mediterranean group, typical are the dwarf palm, large-fruited strawberry, maritime pine, Atlas cedar, cork, beech and felt-leaved oaks, as well as numerous Lamiaceae. The forests contain holm and round-leaf oak, noble laurel, wild strawberry, and tree erica. The mountain slopes are covered with evergreen maquis shrubs, in which there are strawberries, flowering cistus, myrtle, evergreen pistachios and viburnum, red juniper, broom and gorse species, blooming in autumn and winter, and, less commonly, anagyra bean.

Among the cultivated trees, the olive tree predominates, covering the slopes facing the Gulf of Genoa. Common fruit crops include figs, pomegranates, sweet and bitter almonds, pistachios and grapes. Japanese medlar and camphor laurel were imported from Japan, aloe, cacti and agaves from America, and eucalyptus from Australia. Persimmons, bananas, oranges, lemons and tangerines are grown.

There are no large animals left in Monaco. Mammals include small rodents, hedgehogs and shrews, bats, including the unique Mediterranean pipistrelle. Birds include mountain, spectacled and white-whiskered warblers, buntings, Mediterranean mockingbirds, kingfishers, red-necked nightjars, larks, blackbirds, black-spotted and black-bellied wheatears. There are reptiles - steppe gecko, chalcid, sand lizard, common and viper snakes, Aesculapian snake. There are tree frogs and green toads. The world of insects is diverse (mantises, termites, butterflies, cicadas, grasshoppers and sometimes mosquitoes). Marine mammals are few in number, not counting penguins. The mollusk fauna (oysters, mussels, lithophaga) is also poor. The waters are quite poor in fish, but off the coast they catch sardines, anchovies, flounder, mullet, mackerel, striped catfish, and lobsters.

Population.

In July 2004, the country had an estimated population of 32,270. The population density (16,477 people per 1 sq. km.) is one of the highest in the world. Population growth in 2004 was 0.44%.

The average age of the population is 45 years. 15.5% of Monegasque residents are under 15 years of age, 62.1% are between 15 and 64 years of age, and 22.4% are over 65 years of age. Average life expectancy in 2004 was 75.53 years for men and 83.5 years for women. The birth rate is 9.36 per 1000 people, the death rate is 12.74 per 1000 people, the influx of immigrants is 7.78 per 1000 people, and the infant mortality rate is 5.53 per 1000 births.

The indigenous people of Monaco, the Monegasques, make up 16% of the population. 47% of the country's population are French, 16% are Italian, 4% are English, 2% are Belgian, 1% are Swiss, 14% are others. 90% of the population are Catholics, 6% are Protestants.

The official language is French. Residents also speak Monegasque, Italian and English. 99% of the population is literate.

State structure.

According to the 2002 constitution, Monaco is a “hereditary and constitutional monarchy.” Legislative power in the country is divided between the head of state, who takes the legislative initiative, and the parliament (National Council), which passes laws on them.

The head of state is the prince, who represents the principality in relations with other states, puts forward bills, carries out, in agreement with the National Council, a full or partial revision of the constitution, has the rights of pardon, amnesty, awards and granting Monegasque citizenship. Prince of Monaco since May 9, 1949 - Rainier III (Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand) of the Grimaldi dynasty, born in 1923, grandson of Prince Louis II. He graduated from the University of Hastings in the UK and the University of Montpellier (France), in 1944–1945 he served in the French army with the rank of colonel. Died April 6, 2005.

Under the prince there is a Crown Council, which is designed to assist the head of state in the implementation of a number of constitutional prerogatives and advise him on issues affecting the interests of the state. He gives opinions on draft laws and decrees submitted to his consideration by the prince.

The Parliament of Monaco is a National Council consisting of 24 members elected for 5 years by universal suffrage of Monegasque citizens of both sexes who are at least 18 years of age. 16 members of the National Council are elected by a majority vote, and 8 by a proportional voting system. Members of parliament pass laws and the budget of the principality; amendments to the constitution require at least 2/3 of the vote. The National Council may be dissolved by the head of state with the consent of the Government Council, but new elections must be called without delay. The national government is not responsible to the National Council.

Executive power comes from the prince. Administration is carried out by the Minister of State, who represents and is appointed by the head of state. The Minister of State is assisted by the Government Council, which he heads, consisting of advisers responsible for the management of specialized departments. The minister and council members are responsible to the prince for the administration of the principality. The responsibilities of the government include: developing bills and presenting them to the prince, ensuring compliance with laws, directing administrative and public services, issuing ministerial acts and decrees concerning the implementation of laws and princely decrees, commanding the forces of order and the police, conducting foreign policy, etc.

According to tradition, the post of Minister of State is held by a French citizen, selected by the prince from among three persons proposed by the French government. Since January 2000, Patrick Leclerc, a member of the Monegasque National Democratic Union party, has been appointed Minister of State for 5 years.

Legislative power in Monaco belongs to the prince, but he delegates it entirely to the judiciary, which acts on his behalf. The legal system is based on the French legal code. It consists of courts of first instance, magistrates and appellate courts. There is also a Supreme Court, consisting of five members and two assessors, appointed by the prince for a term of four years on the proposal of the National Council.

Administratively, the principality consists of four quarters corresponding to the cities that form it.

Monaco has a police force, but no army of its own, other than the 65-member Royal Guard. Defense matters are the responsibility of France.

Political parties.

National Democratic Union(VAT) is a conservative party formed in 1962 as a result of the merger of the National Union of Independents and the National Democratic Accord. She won every election until 2003 and completely dominated the political scene in Monaco for 40 years.

The party declares its intention to defend the unification of the citizens of Monaco around “their sovereign”, to defend the institutions of the principality as the “sole guarantors” of its independence, as well as the traditional values of the country that constitute its “specificity and identity.” The VAT opposed the establishment of a parliamentary regime and the creation of a government responsible to parliament, seeing this as a factor of political destabilization. Currently, the emphasis is on the need to ensure priority for Monegasque citizens in obtaining employment and purchasing housing. The party also promises to lower the age of civil majority to 18 years. Increase housing construction, expand material and advisory assistance to the elderly, disabled people, families, children and mothers, develop the education system and create new opportunities for young people. In the field of labor relations, the VAT advocates the regulation of temporary and part-time employment and ensuring equal rights for men and women in the world of work. Calls for protecting the existing medical care system, but at the same time developing modern sanitary and hospital structures, as well as improving the living and working conditions of medical workers.

In the 2003 elections, the VAT was defeated for the first time, receiving 41.5% of the vote and only 3 of the 21 seats in the National Council. The leader is Jean-Louis Campora (Chairman of the National Council 1993–2003).

"Union for Monaco"- a coalition of political associations created before the general elections of 2003. It included the National Union for the Future of Monaco, the Rally for the Monegasque Family and the Union for the Principality. The bloc's program is basically identical to the VAT program, but has a more liberal connotation. The Union defends the traditions, “specificity and national identity” of Monaco in the field of culture, the tax system, priority in the provision of employment and housing, and the preservation of such features as high employment and social achievements. At the same time, he objects to “retrograde conservatism,” which dooms the country to economic and other isolation and harms its future.

The Union for Monaco promises to maintain a high quality of life, increase housing construction, and ensure priority for Monegasque citizens in obtaining work and purchasing housing. He defends a model of the rule of law, in which the general interest is higher than personal and corporate, supports lowering the age of civil majority to 18 years and granting citizenship to the children of naturalized women. In the economic field, the bloc advocated the elimination of administrative restrictions that constrain freedom of entrepreneurial activity, the depoliticization of the “Sea Bathing Society” (a joint-stock company that controls, in particular, casinos and tourist facilities) and the allowance of part-time employment for civil servants. In the social sphere, slogans are put forward to expand the rights of women and ensure them equal rights with men in all areas, guarantees of universal access to qualified medical care, expanding the network of youth and cultural leisure, etc.

The Union for Monaco won the general elections in 2003, collecting 58.5% of the vote and winning 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council. Leader - Stéphane Valéry (Chairman of the National Council since 2003).

Foreign policy.

Monaco has a special relationship with France and exercises its sovereignty “in harmony” with French interests in the fields of politics, economics, security and defense. At the same time, the country has been a member of the UN since 1993. Monaco is also a member of a number of UN specialized agencies and maintains diplomatic relations with a number of countries.

Economy.

Monaco's GDP in 1999 was estimated at $870 million, which corresponded to $27 thousand per capita. Tourism plays an important role in the country's economy. In 2001, a new pier was built for ships making tourist cruises. The Principality managed to diversify its economy through the development of the service sector (49% of GDP) and small enterprises producing expensive, high-quality and environmentally friendly products. The country has no income tax, very low business income, which attracts rich people, numerous companies and banks. The state maintains a monopoly in a number of sectors, such as the sale of tobacco products, telephone communications, and postal services. The unemployment rate in 1998 was 3.1%.

Economic data is not published. It is known that in 1993, about 87% of the economically active population was employed in the service sector, 13% in industry, 0% in agriculture. The electronic, electrical, chemical, pharmaceutical industries, precision instrument making, and the production of building materials, earthenware, ceramics and majolica are developed. Trade, serving tourists and making souvenirs occupy an important place. Electricity is imported from France. Monaco is fully integrated into the French customs system, and through it is connected with the economy of the European Union. The monetary unit is the euro.

The revenue line of the budget in 1995 was $518 million, and the expenditure item was $531 million. The main sources of government revenue: taxes on banks, hotels, resorts, casinos, tourism receipts, sales of postage stamps, etc.

The Principality of Monaco is connected to France by road and helicopter service. There is a constant shuttle service between the airport in Nice (France) and the helicopter port in Fontvieille. Entry into the country from France is free. The length of railway tracks in Monaco is 1.7 km, roads – 50 km.

Society and culture.

The country has achieved a high standard of living. There are programs to help various needy categories of the population. Monaco has more than 31 thousand telephone subscribers (1995), 34 thousand radios and 25 thousand televisions (1998). There are at least 9 radio stations, including Radio Monte Carlo, one of the most powerful in the world. There are 5 television companies, including Tele-Monte Carlo.

Traditional Monegasque housing is of the Mediterranean type (two-story small stone houses with tiled roofs). National clothing - trousers, leggings, shirt, vest and jacket, neckerchief for men, black wide gathered skirt, white jacket with long sleeves, lilac or blue bodice, colored scarf and white cap for women. In everyday life it is practically not worn and is used only during festivals and celebrations. The favorite foods of Monegasques are vegetables and root vegetables, cheeses, steak with fried potatoes, stews with sauces, snails, and fish dishes. Residents drink a lot of wine and coffee.

The official holiday is the birthday of Prince Rainier III (May 31). Religious holidays are celebrated, as well as the traditional “King's Day” (January 6). Theatrical spring carnivals are organized.

The classicist sculptor Francois Joseph Bosio (18th–19th centuries), who made a significant contribution to the construction of sculptural ensembles in Paris, as well as the artists Louis and Francois Brea, L. Vidal-Molnay, I. Vidal and Y. Clérissy, became famous.

Monaco annually hosts international festivals - circus and television, as well as Formula 1 auto racing. Concerts are held regularly. There are a philharmonic orchestra, an opera house, numerous museums, and a theater named after. Princess Grace and others

Ancient history.

The Rock of Monaco has served as a refuge for primitive people since ancient times. Their traces were found in one of the caves in the garden of Saint-Martin. Archaeologists attribute them to the Late Paleolithic era (300 thousand years BC). Around 2000 BC. The Ligurian tribe settles in this area. The ancient authors Diodorus Siculus and Strabo described them as harsh mountaineers, accustomed to hard work and a life full of hardships. Ancient figurines and bas-reliefs were found on the territory.

Legends attribute the founding of Monaco to Hercules, whom the Phoenicians called Melqart and the Romans called Hercules. It was alleged that he landed on this coast, returning from Spain, and built the first structures. After his name, the city allegedly received the name “Portus Hercules Monoiki”, that is, “the port of the lonely (temple) of Hercules.” It is known that in ancient times, in the city that stood on the site of present-day Monaco, there really was a temple dedicated to Hercules.

The Greek navigation of Hecataeus of Miletus mentions a city called “Monoikos polis ligustik” - “Ligurian city of Monoikos”. There is an assumption that in reality this name is of Ligurian origin, since the city served as a seaport for the Ligurian Oratell tribe. Probably, the name was later brought into association with “lonely Hercules.”

From about the 10th century. BC. There was a Phoenician fortification on the territory of Monaco. It is believed that it was the Phoenicians who brought Middle Eastern palm trees to the Côte d'Azur. Later, the town was often visited by the Carthaginians, and in the 7th–6th centuries. BC. it is mentioned among the Greek colonies. One way or another, it was an important strategic point between Genoa and Massalia (modern Marseille).

In the 2nd century. BC. The area was captured by the Romans, who included it in the province of the Maritime Alps. At the port, Julius Caesar was loading onto ships, setting off for battle with Pompey. The road laid by the Romans to Marseille, “Via Julia,” led through the city, which for 500 years was one of the main road arteries of the Roman Empire.

During the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian (3rd–4th centuries AD), a boat with the body of the executed Corsican Christian Devote washed up on the Monaco shore. Later, a church was built in his name, and he himself was declared the patron saint of Monaco.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire at the end of the 5th century. was part of the various “barbarian” kingdoms that arose from its ruins. From the 9th century The Ligurian coast was subject to continuous raids by Arab pirates from North Africa and became depopulated. Only in 975 were the Muslims finally expelled by the Count of Provence, Guillaume, after which the coast came under the rule of the Genoese Republic and began to be populated again. On the site of Monaco there was a small fishing village. The German emperors Frederick Barbarossa (1152–1190) and Henry VI (1190–1197) recognized the stretch of coastline up to modern Monaco as the possession of Genoa (finally in 1191).

Creation of the Monegasque State.

On June 10, 1215, the Genoese followers of the emperor (Ghibellines), led by Fulco del Casello, appreciating the strategic importance of the Monaco rock and port, began to build a fortress with four towers on the site of the current princely palace. The castle replaced a Muslim fortification that was in ruins. The transfer of Monaco to Genoa was confirmed in 1220 and 1241 by the German Emperor Frederick II (1212–1250) and in 1262 by the Count of Provence.

To attract new settlers, the founders provided them with significant land and tax incentives. Over the next 300 years, Monaco was the subject of a bitter struggle between the Ghibelline families of Doria and Spinola (supporters of the German emperors) and the Guelph families of Fieschi and Grimaldi (supporters of the popes), passing from hand to hand.

The founder of the Grimaldi family was considered Otto Canella, who was consul of Genoa in 1133; his son received the name Grimaldi. In 1296, during one of the civil wars in the Genoese Republic, the Guelphs were expelled from Genoa and took refuge in Provence. Having gathered a small army, they, led by Francesco Grimaldi, captured the fortress of Monaco on January 2, 1297. According to the chronicle, the Guelph leader disguised himself as a Franciscan monk and was allowed into the fortress by unsuspecting guards, after which he opened the gates to armed warriors.

This time Grimaldi failed to gain a foothold in Monaco. In 1301 they lost the fortress and managed to regain it only on September 12, 1331, when Charles Grimaldi took possession of the rock. In 1341, Charles I (1330–1363) recaptured Monaco from the Spinola family. He enjoyed the support of the French kings and also acquired Menton and Roquebrune. Charles's father and Francesco's cousin, Rainier I was appointed Grand Admiral of France and commanded the French fleet in the battle against the Flemings in 1304. Charles himself led the French king Philip VI (1328–1350) with a squad of crossbowmen who took part in the famous Battle of Crécy (1346). ), and his fleet took part in the siege of Calais. However, he later died during the capture of Monaco by the Genoese Doge Simon Boccanegra. Charles's son, Rainier II (1363–1407), also in the French royal service, managed to hold only Menton (1346) and Roquebrune (1355), but in 1357 the Grimaldi lost their possessions. In 1395 they recaptured them, but in 1401 they lost them again.

The children of Rainier II - Ambroise, Antoine and Jean - regained Monaco in 1419, and then divided the possessions among themselves. So Jean I (1427–1454) became the sole lord of Monaco and Condamine. Having managed to free himself from the captivity of the Duke of Milan, he ruled his possessions until his death in 1454.

Conflicts with Genoa, Milan and Savoy forced Grimaldi, without giving up his independence, to seek protection from neighboring states. They managed to receive such patronage from Florence (1424), Savoy (1428) and Milan (1477). In addition, in 1448, Jean I ceded half of Menton and Roquebrune to the Duke of Savoy in exchange for recognition of his feudal rights to these territories.

The son of Jean I, Catalan (1454–1457) entered into an alliance with the French king and married his daughter to his relative Lambert, who became the king's chamberlain. In 1489, Lambert managed to achieve recognition of the independence of Monaco from the French king and the Duke of Savoy. The support of the latter was purchased at the price of recognition of Savoy's suzerainty over 11/12 Menton in exchange for recognition of Grimaldi's feudal rights (this feudal oath was valid until 1507).

Lambert's policies were continued by his sons Jean II and Lucien I (1505–1523). The latter repelled the Genoese siege in 1506–1507. The French king confirmed the sovereignty of Monaco in 1498 and 1507, promising his patronage to its rulers. King Louis XII's (1498–1515) patent of 1512 recognized Monaco as an independent possession whose lord could not be "in any way diminished or interfered with in his rights, jurisdiction, sovereignty, prerogatives" and enjoyed the "special protection" of the monarch of France. In 1515, this position was confirmed by the new king Francis I (1515–1547). However, in 1523 the ruler was killed by adherents of the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, who was supported by France. Lucien's brother, Bishop Augustin, who became a seigneur, broke with King Francis I and entered into an alliance with his main enemy in Europe - the German emperor and Spanish king Charles V (1519-1556). In accordance with the Treaty of Burgos (1524), Monaco came under the protection of Spain. It became an imperial fief, whose ruler had to take a feudal oath. At the request of the Monegasque lord, this agreement was later changed: the new agreement of Tordesillas (November 1524) no longer contained any mention of the imperial fief.

Under the auspices of Spain.

The alliance with Spain placed a heavy burden on Monaco's finances. The Spanish garrison, stationed in Monaco under the agreement of 1605, was maintained exclusively at the expense of the inhabitants of this state.

After Augustin's death in 1532, due to the early age of Lucien I's children, the country was temporarily ruled by Etienne Grimaldi from Genoa. He scrupulously observed the treaty with Spain, but at the same time tried to strengthen the autonomy of Monaco. The reign of Lucien's son, Honoré I (1523–1581), was relatively calm. His children Charles II (1581–1589) and Hercules I (1589–1604) continued the same policy. Their main attention was paid to the administration of the possessions that Charles V had assigned them in southern Italy, especially the Marquisate of Campania. In 1604 Hercules was killed by conspirators.

Until 1616, the regency under the son of the murdered ruler Honore I was carried out by his uncle, Prince Frederic de Valdetar. In 1612, he convinced his nephew to accept a new title - "Seigneur and Prince of Monaco." Since 1619, the Monegasque monarch was called a prince. This title was recognized by the Spanish court and became hereditary.

Having taken power into his own hands, the young prince gradually reoriented his policy towards France. Negotiations, which began in 1630, lasted more than 10 years, and the prince received support from the first minister of France, Richelieu. In 1635, another Franco-Spanish war began; in 1640, an uprising against Spain broke out in Catalonia, the participants of which called on France for help. In this situation, on September 14, 1641, an agreement between the Monegasque ruler and the French king Louis XIII (1610–1643) was signed in Peronne. Monaco was recognized as a free and sovereign principality under the protectorate of France, and the prince was entrusted with command of the French military garrison.

Under the protectorate of the French king.

A few months after the conclusion of the treaty, the prince armed his followers and, relying on them, forced the Spanish garrison of the fortress to capitulate. In 1642 Honore II was solemnly received at the French court. Instead of the possessions he had lost in Naples, previously donated to the Monegasque lords by Charles V, the prince received others on French soil: the Duchy of Valentinois, the Viscountcy of Charles in Auvergne and the Marquisate of Beau along with the lordship of Saint-Rémy in Provence. At court, he was patronized by the first minister, Cardinal Mazarin, and King Louis XIV (1643–1715) became the godfather of his grandson, the future Prince Louis I.

According to the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659, the Prince of Monaco was supposed to receive back his possessions in Naples and Milan, but he abandoned them in favor of the French king, who, in turn, transferred them to the Duke of Lanti.

Honore II minted his own coin. He did a lot to decorate the city and especially the princely palace, where he collected a huge collection of paintings, furniture, valuables, etc. Monaco hosted luxurious celebrations, ballet performances, balls and magnificent religious ceremonies.

After the death of Honore II, his grandson Louis I (1662–1701) ascended the princely throne, whose name is also associated with the construction of a number of monumental buildings. He published a collection of laws that was characterized by comparative liberalism. Led by the prince, the Monegasque cavalry fought on the side of France and Holland in Flanders and Franche-Comté during the war against the British. When the problem of the Spanish succession arose, Louis XIV appointed Louis I as his ambassador to the papal court in 1698, instructing him to obtain papal support for the French candidate for the Spanish throne. While in Rome, he squandered much of the wealth collected by his grandfather. In 1701 the prince died in Rome.

His son, Prince Antoine (1701–1731), moved in the circles of the highest French aristocracy and maintained connections with the future regent, the Duke of Orleans. He had a brilliant career in the French army, participating in many battles. Antoine restored and strengthened the princely palace, where he organized magnificent festivities. The prince was fond of music, conducted his own orchestra and corresponded with prominent French composers Francois Coupren, Andre Detouche and others. Close ties of Monaco with France forced in 1707, despite the neutrality of the principality, to fear an invasion by the troops of the Duke of Savoy, and the prince began building new fortifications. The military threat was eliminated only after the conclusion of the Peace of Utrecht in 1713.

With the death of Antoine, the male line of the Grimaldi dynasty was cut short. The prince's daughter Louise-Hippolyte ruled for only a few months before power passed to her husband, Jacques-François de Matignon, proclaimed Jacques I (1731–1733). In 1733 he transferred the throne to his son Honore III (1733–1793). The new prince, like his predecessors, served in the French army, taking part in military operations in Flanders, on the Rhine and in the Netherlands, receiving the rank of marshal in 1748.

During the War of the Austrian Succession in 1746–1747, Monaco was blockaded by Austrian and Sardinian troops. They were pushed back by French forces under the command of Marshal de Belle-Ile. The subsequent reign of Honore III passed quietly. The principality's economy flourished and the standard of living of the population rose, despite the state's meager natural resources. Monaco's main source of wealth was maritime trade and the collection of duties on ships heading to Italy. The prince, who had extensive land holdings in Valentinois, Auvergne, Provence and Normandy, acquired more land in Alsace.

During the period of the Great French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

All the possessions of the Monegasque prince in France were lost after the French Constituent Assembly abolished feudal rights on the night of August 4, 1789. Initially, the assembly upheld the Treaty of Peronne and even intended to compensate the prince for the loss of his property, valued at 273,786 francs. However, after the overthrow of the French king in 1792, this project was abandoned. Honoré III's appeals to the Treaty of Peronne were unsuccessful, and by the time the prince died in 1795, the financial well-being of the dynasty had already been undermined.

In Monaco itself, a struggle unfolded between two parties. One of them advocated maintaining the sovereignty of the principality. The other, the People's Society, demanded, first of all, the creation of a system of representative government. The second of them managed to win. In January 1793, the National Convention was elected, which soon announced the overthrow of the Grimaldi dynasty.

The entry of French troops into the county of Nice accelerated the formation of a new regime. On February 15, 1793, the French Convention decided to unite the principality with France. Monaco, renamed Fort Hercule, formed a canton within the French Republic, and then became the administrative center of the district (later the center was moved to San Remo). All the wealth collected in the princely palace was confiscated, paintings and works of art were sold, and the palace itself was turned into a barracks, and then into a hospital and a shelter for the poor. Most members of the princely family (including Honore III) were arrested, then released, but were forced to sell almost all their property. Some of them served in the French army.

The situation changed after the abdication of the French Emperor Napoleon. The First Peace of Paris on May 30, 1814 restored the principality within the borders that existed before January 1, 1792, under a French protectorate.

Honore IV, son of Honore III, became the prince, but due to poor health he lost the throne to his brother Joseph. The son of the abdicated prince, Honoré-Gabriel rebelled against this decision and convinced his father to transfer power to him. In March 1815, Honoré IV (1815–1819) went to Monaco, but, arriving in Cannes, he was arrested by the landing Napoleonic troops and taken to Napoleon.

After the final collapse of the Empire, according to the second Treaty of Paris on November 20, 1815, the principality was placed under the protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Sardinian protectorate.

The treaty between Monaco and the Sardinian king Victor Emmanuel I was signed in Stupinigi on November 8, 1817. It was much less favorable for the principality than the treaty with France that was in force before the French Revolution. The finances of the principality were in a pitiful state, the country's resources were dwindling, and the communes, parishes and hospitals owed large sums of money.

After the death of Honore IV, power passed to his son Honore V (1819–1841), who was awarded the title of baron by Napoleon in 1810, and the title of peer of France by the Restoration regime. The new prince took measures to overcome the crisis. However, his harsh policies met with popular discontent and protest demonstrations, especially in 1833 in Menton. After the death of Honoré V, power passed to his brother, Florestan I (1841–1856), a great admirer of literature and theater, who was completely unprepared for government. Most issues were resolved by his wife Caroline, who came from a bourgeois family. She managed to temporarily soften the discontent caused by the decrees of Honore V. But the détente did not last long, and soon Florestan and Caroline again tightened their policies, hoping to thus return prosperity to the principality.

Meanwhile, in Menton, demands for independence were growing louder. Residents of the city sought the adoption of a liberal constitution, like the one introduced in the Kingdom of Sardinia by King Charles Albert. They rejected the constitution proposed by Florestan. After the revolution of 1848 in France, the situation worsened. Florestan and Caroline transferred power to their son Charles.

But it was already too late. Uprisings began, Prince Florestan was overthrown, arrested and imprisoned, and princely rule was abolished. However, in 1849 Florestan was restored to the throne.

On March 20, 1848, Menton and Roquebrune, which officially remained fiefs of Savoy and Sardinia, declared themselves free and independent cities “under Sardinian patronage.” On May 1, 1849, the authorities of the Kingdom of Sardinia issued a decree on their annexation to the district of Nice. The Monegasque princes Florestan and Charles III (1856–1889) never managed to return these territories.

In March 1860, in gratitude for the military assistance provided by the French Emperor Napoleon III to the unification of Italy, the Kingdom of Sardinia ceded Savoy and the County of Nice, including Menton and Roquebrune, to France. On July 18, 1860, Sardinia withdrew its troops from Monaco, thereby ending the protectorate.

According to the agreement of February 2, 1861 between Prince Charles III and Napoleon III, Monaco renounced all rights to Menton and Roquebrune in favor of France, for which it received compensation in the amount of 4 million francs. The treaty officially recognized the independence of the Principality of Monaco, but it was reduced to 1/20 of its former area. According to unpublished additional articles of the treaty, Monaco promised not to transfer any part of its territory to any power other than France.

Principality before World War II.

The principality, reduced in size and deprived of resources, was in an extremely difficult financial and economic situation. It was impossible to raise taxes further. Back in the 1850s, the authorities decided to improve matters by opening a casino, but the gambling house of the French entrepreneur Durand soon closed due to lack of transport connections and lack of competitiveness. The businessman Lefevre, who bought the company, also failed to get things going.

After several attempts to revive trade, Charles III and his mother Caroline decided to organize a company called the Sea Bathing Society. The concession to create a gambling house was sold for 1.7 million francs to banker Francois Blanc, who previously headed a gambling house in Hamburg. The term of his license was 50 years. Blanc managed to organize a casino and expand operations, the volume of which soon exceeded the most optimistic expectations. Hotels, a theater and a casino built by the Sea Bathing Society began to attract many tourists to the principality from the very beginning.

In 1865, Monaco signed a convention with France establishing a customs union. At the same time, the prince retained the right to conclude international treaties and agreements. The parties agreed on the construction of a railway line through Monegasque territory. Since 1868, when the railway line between Nice and Ventimiglia came into operation, the number of tourists has increased even more. In 1870, 140 thousand people visited the country, and in 1907 - already more than 1 million (at that time there were 52 hotels in the principality).

Monaco's economic progress was accompanied by an expansion of urban development. The Spelug quarter, which surrounded the casino, was quickly built up with luxury hotels and prestigious buildings. In 1866 it received a new name after the prince - Monte Carlo. In 1869, the opera opened in Monte Carlo, which, under the leadership of the famous conductor Raoul Gainsbourg, gained worldwide fame.

During the reign of Charles III, train stations were built in Monaco and Monte Carlo, a post office was organized, the first postage stamps of the principality were issued and gold coins were minted. A separate bishopric was created in Monaco. In 1881 the civil code was introduced.

The population grew rapidly. In 1870, only 1,500 people lived in the principality; in 1888 this number increased to 10 thousand, and in 1907 - to 16 thousand.

The foreign policy activity of the principality also developed. In 1866–1905, Monaco concluded extradition treaties with Italy, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Denmark, as well as a convention on cooperation in the legal field with Italy, Belgium and France. The Principality signed multilateral agreements: the Paris (1883) and Berne (1886) conventions and the Madrid Agreement (1891). It appointed ambassadors and diplomatic representatives to France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and to the papal court.

Prince Albert I (1889–1922) became famous for his scientific research in oceanography, paleontology, anthropology and botany. He founded the Institute of Oceanography in Paris with the famous Oceanographic Museum in Monaco (opened in 1910), the International Institute of Peace (1903) and the Exotic Garden, and contributed to the development of the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in Monaco and other research institutions.

In 1911, the prince approved the constitution of the Principality of Monaco. In accordance with it, the monarch retained very broad powers, but shared legislative power with the National Council, which was elected by universal suffrage. In October 1914 the constitution was suspended.

Albert I patronized the development of art and culture: magnificent performances were staged at the Monaco Opera, and famous seasons of Russian ballet were held in Monaco. Monaco was active in diplomatic activity. According to the 1912 convention, French troops could enter the territory of the principality only at the prior request of the prince. In 1914, Albert I tried unsuccessfully to persuade the German Emperor to abandon hostilities in the First World War. His son Louis served in the French army, and during the First World War he rose to the rank of general.

Officially, Monaco remained neutral in World War I, but France feared that the principality might fall under German influence, since Louis' heir was unmarried and the prince's cousin, Duke Wilhelm von Urach, was a German subject. On July 17, 1918, Monaco was forced to sign an agreement with France, which entered into force on June 23, 1919. The French Republic recognized and guaranteed the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Principality. In turn, the government of the principality was obliged to act “in accordance with the political, military, maritime and economic interests of France” and to coordinate its foreign policy with it. Only Monegasque or French citizens approved by the French government could become heirs to the throne or regents of Monaco. If the princely dynasty ended, Monaco was to form an autonomous state under the protectorate of France. The French army and navy received the right to occupy Monaco, even without the consent of the prince.

A political crisis erupted in the country in 1918 when the National Council refused to recognize the legitimacy of a daughter born to the heir to the throne, Louis, out of wedlock. The authorities issued an order on October 30, 1918, allowing the heir to adopt children in the absence of his own legitimate descendants.

Louis II (1922–1949) tried to maintain the independence of the principality in a difficult international situation and in the economic crisis of the 1930s. During the Second World War, troops of the warring powers entered the territory of the principality twice. The prince's grandson served in the French army during the war.

Modern Monaco.

The grandson of Louis II, Prince Rainier III, who took the throne in 1949, contributed to the development of the principality's economy (tourism, industry), scientific research, sports and culture. While maintaining the traditional image of a luxury tourist center and gambling paradise (in 1973, casinos provided only 5% of budget revenues), the country has also become a business, industrial and cultural center. Due to the drainage of areas of the sea, the area of the state increased by 1/5 during his reign. In 1981, the city of Fontvieille was founded on the territory reclaimed from the sea to the west of the Monaco Rock. Currently there are plans to extend the land on which the Rock of Monaco is located far out to sea and significantly expand the territory of Monte Carlo. The developed areas will be built up, and they are planning to build an underground railway and a station there.

In the economic field, measures have been taken to develop the hotel business, modernize the tourism infrastructure and build facilities suitable for holding international meetings and congresses. Modern industry and trade were created, which became the basis of income in the budget of the principality. The country has undergone major construction work on port facilities, an underground railway, administrative buildings, reconstruction and expansion of a hospital, urban infrastructure, tunnels and parking areas. A new stadium and water stadium, and an airport for helicopters were built.

In 1966, the Monegasque state decided to strengthen its control over such an important source of income as the Sea Bathing Society. Threatening to nationalize the casino, it bought up a majority of the company's shares.

New education laws improved compulsory schooling. New schools were built, measures were taken to develop sports and culture. The prince established prizes for composers and writers, and opened the palace to host concerts of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The princely family patronized the organization of art festivals and ballet performances. The Monte Carlo television station began operating in 1954, and since 1961 the International Television Festival has been held. Scientific research developed: a Scientific Center, a laboratory for marine radioactivity, a center for underwater marine resources, etc. were opened in the principality.

Foreign policy emphasized maintaining close relations with France. French presidents and the Prince of Monaco have repeatedly exchanged official visits. In 1951, both countries signed a convention on good neighborliness and mutual assistance in the field of customs duties, taxes, postal services, television, etc. However, the tax problem caused friction in relations between states. France sought to return taxes on capital settled in Monaco to its budget. On May 18, 1963, after Monaco refused to make changes in the field of taxation and the establishment of French customs cordons on the border with the principality, a new Franco-Monaco convention was signed in Paris. It provided for the introduction of an income tax in the principality according to the principles of French taxation. However, citizens of Monaco, French people living in the country for more than 5 years, and companies in whose capital the share of Monegasque capital exceeded 25% were exempt from the tax.

Monaco maintained official relations with various countries and opened an embassy in Spain. In 1993 the country became a member of the UN.

In the late 1990s, Monaco increasingly began to be accused of becoming an international offshore center for money laundering. In 2000, a commission of the French National Assembly presented a corresponding report and recommended extending French banking control to the principality. Parliamentarians claimed that the number of fake companies registered in Monaco in 1998 was about 6 thousand, 49 banks had 340 thousand accounts, and the owners of 2/3 of them lived abroad. It was argued that the justice of the principality, dependent on the princely house, was not taking any measures to stop the current situation.

On October 24, 2002, after three years of negotiations, a new treaty was signed between Monaco and France, replacing the 1918 treaty. It confirmed the “traditional friendship” of the two countries, French guarantees of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the principality and Monaco’s obligation to exercise its sovereignty in accordance with “fundamental interests of the French Republic in the fields of politics, economics, security and defense,” as well as to coordinate its foreign policy with France. Monaco has the right to open diplomatic missions abroad or transfer the representation of its interests to France. The provisions on the possibility of changing the order of succession to the throne and the entry of French troops were formulated much more softly than in 1918. The text of the treaty stated only that the territory of Monaco was “inalienable”, that France must be informed of the change in succession to the throne and that French troops could enter the territory Monaco only with the consent of the prince or at his request (except in cases where independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened, but the normal functioning of power is interrupted).

Rainier III kept the political life of the principality under strict control. In 1950, the authorities banned the activities of the Communist Party. In the elections to the National Council until 1958, the National Democratic Consent bloc, a coalition of the Radical Socialist Party and the Monegasque Democratic Party, won, and in 1958 it was ahead of the National Union of Independents. In January 1959, the National Council was dissolved and the 1911 constitution was suspended. In January 1961, the prince appointed a new parliament. And on December 17, 1962, the country received a new constitution that confirmed the broad powers of the monarch. Legislative power belonged to the prince and the elected National Council, and executive power belonged to the Government Council, consisting of a state minister and three advisers. In this case, the Minister of State (head of the Government Council) had to be a French citizen and was appointed by the prince from among three candidates recommended by the President of France. Parliament did not have the right to control the activities of the government and take legislative initiatives.

In 1963, women in Monaco received voting rights. National Council elections in 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993 and 1998 were consistently won by the National Democratic Union (NDU), formed by the merger of the National Union of Independents and the National Democratic Accord. Thus, during the 1998 elections, the VAT collected more than 67% of the votes and won all 18 seats in the National Council. The opposition parties National Union for the Future of Monaco and the Rally for the Monegasque Family received 23% and 9% of the votes, respectively.

In 1981, for the first time in its history, the principality experienced a general strike of workers demanding the expansion of trade union rights, guarantees of job preservation and the fight against inflation. There are trade unions in Monaco.

The posts of state ministers were succeeded by Jean-Émile Raymond (1963–1966), Paul Demange (1966–1969), François-Didier Greg (1969–1972), André Saint-Mieu (1972–1981), Jean Early (1981– 1985), Jean Ossay (1985–1991), Jacques Dupont (1991–1994), Paul Dijude (1994–1997) and Michel Levesque (1997–2000). In January 2000, VAT member Patrick Leclerc was appointed chief minister.

Monaco in the 21st century

In 2002, the constitution of the Principality of Monaco was revised. This was preceded by discussions in the Council of Europe and demands to introduce a parliamentary regime in the country, including the responsibility of the government to parliament. Members of the National Council unanimously rejected such changes, considering them a path leading to political destabilization. However, the powers of the legislature were expanded. According to the new constitution, the National Council received the right to legislative initiative and put forward bills, to which the government is obliged to give an official and reasoned response within 6 months. It can make amendments to government projects, approve the introduction of direct and indirect taxes, as well as off-budget expenditures, and ratify all international treaties that change existing legislation.

In February 2003, regular elections to the National Council were held in Monaco, the composition of which was expanded from 18 to 24 members. Another innovation was the introduction of elements of a proportional voting system and the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18 years. The election campaign was stubborn. The main struggle was between the VAT, led by Jean-Louis Campora, president of the National Council since 1993, and the opposition list of three parties, the Union for Monaco, led by former VAT member Stéphane Valéry. Both groups emphasized giving Monegasque citizens priority in employment and housing, and protecting the principality's traditional values. For the first time in 40 years, the elections put an end to the political dominance of the VAT, which managed to win only 3 seats in the National Council. The Union for Monaco won, receiving 21 seats; its leader S. Valery was elected the new chairman of the National Council.

Literature:

Pechnikov B.A. The numbers on the map indicate... M., 1986

)). Population 1.1 thousand people (2004), with the Fontvieille district 4.5 thousand people.
The Oceanographic Museum (1910, architect Delefortry) is the scientific base of the International Institute of Oceanography in Paris. For many years, Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the director of the museum. (cm. CUSTEAU Jacques Yves). Library of the Oceanographic Museum (over 30 thousand volumes). Library of the princely palace (over 120 thousand volumes). Museum of Old Monaco, Wax Museum of the Princes of Monaco, Napoleon Museum. Archive (historical documents of the principality from the 13th century, collections of postage stamps and coins of Monaco from 1640). Meteorological station and seismological observatory. Every year one of the Formula 1 Grand Prix races is held in Monaco. (cm. FORMULA-1 (automotive))(Monaco Grand Prix).
The city of Monaco, located on a flat rock 60 m high, covered with cacti and African vegetation, has generally retained its medieval appearance.
The historical center of Monaco is the princely palace complex (13-19 centuries). For protection from the Genoese, French and Spaniards, on a rock in the 13th century. at the very beginning of the reign of the Grimaldi family (cm. GRIMALDI (family)) a castle was built. Prince Honore II (1597-1662) took the first steps to transform this fortified castle into a palace. All military equipment was preserved, but the interior chambers were rebuilt for more comfortable housing.
Later, the palace was repeatedly restored and modernized. (cm. Among the personal chambers of the ruling family there is a very beautiful gallery in the Italian style, decorated with wall paintings, salons, a throne room, in which from the 16th century. All ceremonies take place. The Napoleon Museum and Archives are located in the southern wing of the palace. The square in front of the palace is surrounded by a battery of cannons cast in the era of Louis XIV.
LOUIS XIV Bourbon)
At the north-eastern end of the cliff stands a fortress from the early 18th century. - Fort Antoine, built by Prince Antoine I. Now the fortress is used as an open theater for 350 spectators. (cm. The old town is very small in size. Residential buildings from the 16th to 18th centuries have been preserved. In Place de la Mayor's Office is the chapel of La Misericorde (Divine Mercy), built in 1635 as a meeting place for the Brotherhood of Penitents. The first rector of the church was Prince Honore II. The chapel houses a wooden sculpture of Christ made by the Monegasque Francis-Joseph Bosio, personal sculptor of Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte.
NAPOLEON I Bonaparte) (cm. On the site of the ancient church of St. Nicholas (13th century), from which an altar painted in the 16th century has been preserved. By the artist Louis Brea, a white stone cathedral was erected (1874-98, architect C. Lenormand) in the pseudo-Romanesque style. The columns are made of granite and porphyry of various shades, and the altar is made of Carrara CARRARA)
marble. Members of the Grimaldi family are buried in the cathedral.
In the Gardens of St. Martin, among pine trees, agaves and aloes, there are fountains and bronze statues, one of them is a monument to Prince Albert I.
Fontvieille
Maritime Museum (history of the development of shipbuilding, about 180 models of famous sea vessels), collection of vintage cars of the Prince of Monaco (about 100 cars of old models of the most prestigious brands). Zoological Garden (since 1954). Louis II Stadium (1985, 20 thousand seats). Landscape Park of Fontvieille (area 4 hectares) with the Princess Grace Rose Garden (opened in 1984, more than 5 thousand rose bushes of more than 150 varieties).

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

See what "MONACO (capital)" is in other dictionaries:

Monaco (capital)- Monaco. View of the palace. MONACO, capital of the state of Monaco. 3 thousand inhabitants. Port on the Mediterranean Sea. Production of souvenirs. Oceanographic Museum with a unique aquarium, Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology. Tourism. Known since the 13th century. Preserved... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Monaco, capital of the Principality of Monaco. Port, resort on the Mediterranean coast. About 2 thousand inhabitants (1961). Historical center of M. Princely Palace (13th-19th centuries). Among the later buildings is the pseudo-Romanesque cathedral (1874 98, architect Sh. ... ...

State in South. Europe, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by French territory. Rome is mentioned. by authors at the turn of the century. e. as a place of cult of Hercules agh or portus Monoecus, where Monoecus is Greek. living alone (one of the nicknames of Hercules), Latin... ... Geographical encyclopedia

MONACO (Monaco), Principality of Monaco, a state in Southern Europe, on the shores of the Ligurian Sea (see LIGURIAN SEA) (parts of the Mediterranean Sea (see MEDITERRANEAN SEA)), protected from the north and east by the Alps (see ALPS). The country is surrounded by land... encyclopedic Dictionary

MONACO- Monaco, the capital of the Principality of Monaco, shares a small territory of the country (1.95 km2) with two other Monaco cities, La Condamine and Monte Carlo. The Principality of Monaco is located in Southern Europe, on the Mediterranean coast (the length of Monaco... ... Cities and countries

Monaco: Monaco is a state in Europe Monaco is a football club from Monaco playing in the French championship Toponym Monaco capital of the state of Monaco Surname Monaco, Kelly (born 1976) American actress and model Part... ... Wikipedia

Monaco, a state in Southern Europe, on the Mediterranean coast, is surrounded by land from France. Area 1.5 km2. Population: about 25 thousand people. (1973), including 4.5 thousand subjects of M. Monegasques, over 15 thousand French... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

MONACO, capital of the state of Monaco. 3 thousand inhabitants. Port on the Mediterranean Sea. Production of souvenirs. Oceanographic Museum with a unique aquarium, Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology. Tourism. Known since the 13th century. Residential areas have been preserved and... Modern encyclopedia

The capital of the state is Monaco, on the Mediterranean. Approx. 4 thousand inhabitants. Oceanographic Institute with a museum and an aquarium. Anthropological Prehistoric Museum. Residential quarters (16th-18th centuries), princely palace (13th-19th centuries), chapel La Misericorde (17th century) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Monaco (meanings). Principality of Monaco Principauté de Monaco ... Wikipedia

Books

Cote d'Azur. Guide
Cote d'Azur. Guide, Velikson Boris, Betaki Vasily, Kassel Elena. Cote d'Azur. Marseille, Cassis, Toulon, Hyères, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Biot, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Grasse, Vence, Nice, Eze, Monaco, Menton, Arles. Guide. New edition of the guide to Cote d'Azur…

Useful information for tourists about Monaco, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Monaco, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of Monaco.

Geography of Monaco

The Principality of Monaco is one of the smallest states in the world, located in the south of Europe, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, near the border of France and Italy. The territory of Monaco consists of the merged city-districts of Monaco, Monte Carlo, La Condamine and Fontvieille.

State

State structure

Monaco is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the prince, who transfers the rights of government to his heir. The head of government is the minister of state. Legislative power belongs to the monarch and the National Council (unicameral parliament). The functions of the lower chamber are performed by the Communal Council.

Language

Official language: French

Residents also speak Monegasque, Italian and English.

Religion

90% of the population are Catholics, 6% are Protestants.

Currency

International name: EUR

Euro (Euro), equal to 100 cents. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, as well as coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.

You can exchange currency at exchange points at banks, train stations, and hotels.

Credit cards from the world's leading systems and travel checks are freely used. It is also profitable to exchange currency through ATM machines.

Popular attractions

Tourism in Monaco

Popular hotels

Excursions and attractions in Monaco

On the Cote d'Azur of the Mediterranean Sea there is a truly paradise - the Principality of Monaco. This is one of the smallest states in the world and one of the most fashionable resorts. Monaco – dazzling luxury and sophisticated elegance. A wonderful mild climate, magnificent natural landscapes, gorgeous beaches of the Cote d'Azur, the famous casinos of Monte Carlo, the legendary Formula 1 and a lot of other entertainment will fill your holiday with unforgettable impressions.

The Principality of Monaco consists of only a few cities that have practically merged together - Monaco Ville (the official capital), Monte Carlo, La Condamine and a small territory reclaimed from the sea - Fontvieille. Despite the very tiny size of Monaco (about 2 sq. km), there are interesting historical and cultural attractions and always a huge number of tourists.

Monaco Ville or the so-called "Old Town" is built on a flat cliff top 60 meters above sea level and is the historical center of Monaco. Here is the Prince's Palace with a magnificent palace square. In the southern wing of the palace there is the Napoleon Museum and the Collection of the Historical Archive of the Prince's Palace. Also on the territory of Monaco Ville is Fort Antoine, the stunning Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, which for some time was headed by the famous French explorer of the World Ocean Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the magnificent Gardens of St. Martin, the Wax Museum and the Museum of Old Monaco. Of particular interest are the magnificent white stone Roman-Romanesque Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which is also the tomb of the Princes of Monaco, and the Chapel of Mercy (one of the oldest buildings, built in 1639).

Monte Carlo is rightfully considered the cultural and entertainment center of Monaco. Here is the world famous Casino - one of the oldest and respectable gambling establishments in the world, striking with its magnificent architecture and luxury. In Monte Carlo, it is also worth visiting the Opera House, the National Museum of Monaco, the Church of St. Charles and the wonderful Japanese Garden.

Monaco's main port is located in La Condamine, and Monaco's business life is concentrated here. The main attractions of La Condamine include the magnificent Exotic Garden, the Church of Sainte-Devote, the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, the Market and the pedestrian Rue Princesse Caroline. The Fontvieille area is famous for the park of the same name with the stunning Princess Grace Rose Garden, the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Philately and Numismatics, the Zoological Garden and the Louis II Stadium. And in the huge Commercial Center is the Prince Rainier III Vintage Car Museum, which houses a magnificent collection of luxury vintage cars (one of the best collections of its kind in the world).

Monaco is the picturesque Alps, azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, fashionable beaches and interesting sights. But still, the main life of the country revolves around a huge number of exquisite restaurants and cafes, famous nightclubs, discos and, of course, casinos.

Tips

In hotels and restaurants, 15% service charge is usually included in the bill, otherwise it is customary to tip the waiter up to 10% of the bill, the taxi driver - about 10-15% of the meter, the porter, maid or guide - 0 .5-1 euro.

Office hours

Banks are open from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 16.30 from Monday to Friday.

Purchases

Shops are usually open from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00.

VAT is 18.6% (there is a lower tax rate for medicines and medical equipment, as well as food and non-alcoholic drinks) and is included in the price of goods. Foreigners who purchase goods worth at least 185 euros in one store can receive a tax refund. The money is returned at customs when crossing the border upon presentation of the check and the goods, or the check is sent to your place of residence and cashed at the bank.

Emergency numbers

Police - 17 or 93-153-015.
Urgent medical assistance - 93-259-869.
Fire and paramedic services - 18 or 93-301-945.

Questions and feedback about Monaco

Monaco - Questions and Answers

Monaco is a dwarf state and ranks 2nd in area among the smallest countries in the world. Since the 14th century, the principality has been ruled by the Grimaldi dynasty. The country has a colorful past, but today is renowned as the "abode of the high and mighty", where the wealthy enjoy favorable tax conditions.

Map of Monaco. Geographical characteristics

The state of Monaco is located on the shores of the Ligurian Sea in southern Europe. Its area is only 2.02 square meters. km. This number also includes 40 hectares of sea shores that have been drained over the past 20 years. A detailed map of Monaco shows the country in a single urban space with the French commune of Beausoleil. The border between the two states is arbitrary.

The Principality is famous for being home to one of the best casinos in the world. Also in Monaco, on the Monte Carlo city circuit, one of the stages of the Formula 1 race called the Monaco Grand Prix is held.

Another feature of the dwarf state is the privileges of the indigenous population, called Monegasques. They make up a fifth of all residents, have their own spoken language (a mixture of French and Italian) and traditions. Monegasques are considered a titular nation, they are exempt from all taxes and, unlike foreigners, have the right to reside in the historical part of the country.

Monaco on the world map: geography, nature and climate

Usually the state is marked with a small dot somewhere in France, so finding Monaco on the world map is very difficult. The principality is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, on the land side it is surrounded by the lands of France. The closest major city to Monaco is Nice. The distance between the two resorts is 18 km.

Monaco is located on steep hills Maritime Alps, so the country's topography is rocky and rugged. Mountain slopes protect the coast from northern winds. The highest point of the country's relief is 163 meters. The peak is located on the southern slope of the peak Mont Agel and juts straight out into the sea. The southern location and mountainous terrain give rise to a subtropical climate in these parts. Monaco is characterized by:

dry and cool summers with an average air temperature of +22–25 degrees;
rainy and mild winter, during which the air temperature does not drop below +9 degrees;
In the off-season, unstable weather and lower temperatures are brought by strong winds blowing both from the sea and from the interior of France.

The warm climate and favorable geographical location of the country are attractive factors that force Russian tourists to look for Monaco on a map in Russian.

The principality is dominated by Mediterranean flora: dwarf palms, boxwood, olives, jasmine, oaks, conifers, etc., the mountainous area is covered with evergreen bushes.

there are no large animals;
Among mammals, small rodents dominate;
of birds - warblers, larks, mockingbirds;
there are small reptiles;
marine life is small in number (fish, shellfish, mammals).

Map of Monaco with cities. Administrative division of the country

In the past, according to the Constitution adopted in 1911, the Principality of Monaco was administratively divided into 3 communes:

La Condamine;
Monte Carlo;
Monaco-Ville.

Those, in turn, were divided into separate regions. 6 years later, amendments were made to the Constitution, as a result of which the principality became one single commune, and the former communes received the status of districts. In the early 1970s, the state was expanded by draining the Mediterranean coast. As a result, the new lands of Fontvieille and Le Portier appeared.

Today there are 4 cities in the principality, the borders of which have merged due to the density of buildings. On the map of Monaco with cities in Russian it is:

Monaco-Ville- an ancient city that has preserved its medieval appearance, until 2007 it was the capital of the principality. It is located on a flat area of a high rocky cliff (60 m) extending into the sea.
Monte Carlo– cultural and entertainment center, resort area. This affluent and prestigious area is nestled among the Mediterranean cliffs and is home to one of the world's oldest casinos and a Grand Prix racing circuit.
La Condamine– a modern business, industrial, port center. Located on the shore of the convenient Hercules Bay.
Fontvieille- a modern industrial and port district in the southwest of the country, located on artificial land. It was erected as a result of the creation of an underwater embankment of stone blocks and a concrete dam. It is home to the Louis II multi-sports stadium and the principality's only university.

Just over 35 thousand people live in the dwarf principality. This population density puts Monaco in first place in the ranking of the most densely populated countries in the world.