The glamorous principality of Monaco
The Principality of Monaco is located on the Medittarenean sea bodering the south of France and Italy. The principality is rather small, its area is equal to 1.95 sq km and its population is 31,800 people. The primary language is French. The breakdown of Monaco's population is as following: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%. The government structure is the constitutional monarchy as the principality is ruled by the Grimaldi royal family.
The Principality of Monaco and its only city and capital Monte Carlo are some of the most beautiful places I have ever see. Monte Carlo is full of chic and glamour. It is the city of the rich and the famous. The views are spectacular and the streets are sqeaky clean. The city is very safe as there are surveillance cameras everywhere to prevent theft and crime. Monte Carlo is not a budget place as the hotel accomodations are very expensive. It's better to stay somewhere on the French Riviera outside of the city and then drive into the city for sightseeing.
The highlights of the principality include its world-famous Casino, Prince's Palace, Cafe de Paris and equisite shopping galleries. Another point of interest of Monaco is the royal family starting with prince Rainier III who married a Holllywood star, Grace Kelly and their children's beautiful looks and scandalous behaviors. Monaco is a fascinating and unique place.
History
Monaco's history is pretty much the history of the Grimaldi family. The country is their private playground, and they are its raison d'etre - a 1918 treaty with France states that, should the Grimaldis die out, Monaco will become an autonomous state of France.
The area which is now Monaco has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Legend has it that during the Roman era a young Corsican Christian named Devote was executed and her body placed in a boat for Africa. The boat drifted off course and ran aground on the coast of modern-day Monaco, where a state was founded in her honour.
The first serious spate of building in the area - the perimeters of today's Princes Palace - was undertaken by the Ligurians, a Ghibelline Genovese dynasty which ruled Monaco in the 13th century. But on 8 January 1297 the first of the Grimaldis, Francois, snuck into the citadel behind the backs of the Ghibellines and scored his heirs 700 years' worth of easy living.
In 1489 King Charles VIII of France recognised Monaco's independence. Although they were leading separate lives, and despite Monaco's brief flirtation with Spanish dominance between 1524 and 1641, France and Monaco remained close. Eventually, however, France's possessive nature got the better of it, and in 1793 the new Revolutionary regime annexed Monaco. A treaty signed in 1861 reinstated Monaco's independence, and bickering in recent decades has been restricted to the question of tax laws - Monaco refuses to tax French residents or French companies with their headquarters in Monaco.
Prince Rainier III's fairytale marriage to movie starlet Grace Kelly in 1956 was the icing on the cake of Monaco's glamourous image. When the royal family is made up of leggy models and drop-dead gorgeous screen stars, representative democracy seems a tad dull in comparison.
Nevertheless, in 1962 Prince Rainier instituted a National Council elected by native Monegasques, just 16% of the population. As all laws must be passed by the Prince, the Council is mostly for show, and in a country without income tax there's very little to discuss anyway. Besides, with 300 sunny days a year, voting would be a criminal waste of tanning time.
Culture
Monegasque culture is the type one buys a new frock for; it's an ideal accompaniment to martinis and finger food. Most of its cultural institutions sprang up fresh-faced in the 17th century under the patronage of Prince Honore III. The prize-winning Monte Carlo Philharmonic has been thumping out tunes since 1863, while the more modern Monte Carlo Ballet was established by Princess Caroline to honour her mother's memory. Monte Carlo also has its own opera and several theatres.
If you scrape off Monaco's flawless make-up, however, you'll find the remnants of a deeply religious, spiritual culture underneath. The legend of Devote, the country's patron saint and founder, is a cherished part of Monegasque heritage. Every year on 27 January a torchlit ceremony is held for her at the Church of St Devote. Monaco also venerates saints such as Saint Roman, a martyred Roman legionary, and St John.
Events
Monaco is a country that thrives on spectacle and glitz. The big one for the year has to be the Formula One Grand Prix, held in mid-May, when the world's best drivers hit the city streets and crossing the road becomes an extreme sport. Those who can't get enough of big, throbbing engines should also be in town in January for the Monte Carlo Motor Rally.
Dedicated to showing off in all its forms, Monaco also hosts the International Circus Festival in January, the Great Magic Prize (an international prestidigitators' playoff) in March, and the International Fireworks Competition (fought out in the natural amphitheatre of Monaco's harbour) in July.
Monaco's Attractions
Casino
The Casino was built in 1878 by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Opera House in Paris. The atrium, paved in marble, is surrounded by 28 ionic columns in onyx. It leads into the auditorium of the Opera, called the "Salle Garnier", which is decorated in red and gold, with a profusion of bas-reliefs, frescos and sculptures. Here, for more than a century, outstanding performances of operas, ballets and concerts have been staged.
The gaming rooms comprise of a succession of numerous rooms featuring stained glass windows, admirable decorations and sculptures, allegorical paintings and bronze lamps. Hours: Open Daily. Persons under 21 not admitted. Identity papers obligatory. Admission: 50 FF in European Rooms (Roulette, Trente et Quarante, Slot machines) 100 FF in Private Rooms and English Club.
Prince's Palace
The guardian of a centuries-old tradition, this uniquely located Palace was built on the site of a fortress by the Genoese in 1215. A visit takes one on a journey through history from the time of the Guelfes and the Gibelins to the Napoleonic period.
The outstanding features of the Palace that can be admired include: the Italian-style gallery , the Louis XV Salon, the Mazarin Salon, the Throne Room, the Palatine Chapel, the Sainte-Marie Tower and the Main Courtyard. Hours: Open daily from June to September, from 9:30 am to 6:30 p.m.; during October, from 10 am to 5 p.m.; Annual closure from November to May. Admission: 30 FF per person; 15 FF for children from 8 to 14 years of age.
Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium
Inaugurated in 1910 by its founder, Prince Albert I, this exceptional museum of marine sciences is a monumental architectural master-piece with a grandiose facade rising sheer above the sea to a height of 85 meters. The impressive rooms of the Museum, open to the public on two floors, contain remarkable collections of marine fauna, gathered by Prince Albert, numerous specimens of sea creatures (stuffed in skeleton of a 20 meter whale), models of Prince Albert's laboratory ships, and craftware made from the sea's natural products.
In the basement, the visitor can enjoy the spectacular delights of the world-famous "Aquarium" with its extraordinary show of marine flora and fauna. The rarest species of multicolored fish from the world's ocean and seas swim around in seawater. Hours: Open daily from October to March: from 9:30 am to 7 p.m.; during April, May, June and September: from 9 am to 7 p.m.; during July and August: from 9 am to 8 p.m.; from November to February: from 10 am to 6 p.m.. Closed on the 24th of may in the afternoon. Admission: 60 FF per person 30 FF for children/students from 6 to 18 years of age.