History pages

Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon in Monaco: a Trip to Remember
In the second half of the 20th century, Monaco attracted the rich and famous willing to experience the taste of life again after the losses and sorrows of World War II. The festive life and pleasant climate had turned the Principality into a paradise for elite society.
8 Jun, 2019
The origins of Russian ballets in Monte-Carlo
It was in 1861 after Monaco lost much of its territory, Menton and Roquebrune, that Prince Charles III decided to invest in the fashionable Casino area that would accommodate the European and, in particular, the Russian aristocracy… In 1866, by a Sovereign Ordinance, the plateau of Spélugues became Monte-Carlo.
8 Mar, 2019
Game of fiefs: lands and titles of the Grimaldi dynasty
Game of fiefs: lands and titles of the Grimaldi dynasty
Marquis of Baux, Count of Polignac, Sir of Matignon, Duke of Mayenne, Baron of Massy, Count of Torigni... These and other titles belong to just one person - the reigning prince of Monaco.
30 Jan, 2019
Joe Dassin
Born in Monaco: the Iconic Place in Joe Dassin’s Hit
«To not pay taxes — one must be born in Monaco», sang the legendary Joe Dassin. This year, the French singer, known for his compositions L'Eté Indien and Et Si Tu N'existais Pas, would have turned 80, and this is an excellent occasion to look back on his career.
7 Nov, 2018
The Railway - Locomotive Of Monaco’s Prosperity
The Railway – Locomotive of Monaco’s Prosperity
Would you believe that Monaco was almost destined to be a sleepy little town, oblivious of the effects of modernity on all its neighbours. In 1850 all the major traffic passing between Nice and Menton and Genoa took the Grande Corniche and bye-passed the Principality.
24 Oct, 2018
Casanova
The Adventures of Casanova on the Côte d’Azur
The name of Casanova, alongside that of Lovelace and Don Juan, has long become a generic name. His amorous adventures are now legendary. He created some of those myths himself in his famous memoirs «The Story of My Life.
2 Sep, 2018
Monaco’s Mills that Disappeared over Time
Monaco’s Mills that Disappeared over Time
The mills that once existed in Monaco, today they are part of history. Only two places in the Principality serve as a reminder of the time when they were one of the pillars of Monaco’s economy.
1 Sep, 2018
Fitzgerald’s
Stranger than Fiction: the Real Lives that Inspired «Tender is the Night»
Behind the scenes and the characters that inspired one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s best-selling novels. The glitz and the glamour were the flashy cover, but what lurked behind the enviable façade was the incandescent relationship between a narcissistic artist and his explosive muse.
28 Apr, 2018
François Miterrand
Visits of French presidents to Monaco: from François Miterrand to François Hollande
HelloMonaco continues its series of publications about the visits of the French presidents to the Principality of Monaco.
25 Mar, 2018
Umberto Bassignani
Umberto Bassignani — Italian sculptor in Monaco
Even though his masterpieces are familiar to almost every resident of Monaco, the life of this sculptor remains in the shadows for many of us. Umberto Bassignani is an Italian sculptor of Tuscan origin who conquered the Monegasque cultural environment in the 19th and 20th centuries.
4 Feb, 2018
François and Marie Blanc
François and Marie Blanc: on a tricky path to the dream and prosperity
Gambling in Monaco was first authorized by Prince Florestan I. He signed the law legalizing gambling two months before his death, in April 1856. However, it didn’t become official until December of that year with the opening of the first gambling house in the Palais de la Condamine.
14 Jan, 2018
Visits of French presidents to Monaco: from Felix Faure to Charles de Gaulle
Albert I and Rainier III knew very well that the principal task in the development of foreign connections was to create formal diplomatic channels, important elements of which were official visits.
5 Dec, 2017
Winston Churchill
The story of Winston Churchill’s Gambling in Monaco
Churchill had known about the casino of Monte Carlo and was in love with it for a long time. He had come here since the beginning of the century, at a time when, as a brilliant writer, he was earning the equivalent of 100.000 pounds a month in today’s money.
15 Oct, 2017
The Audiovisual Archives of Monaco tell their story
Since their creation in 1997, the Audiovisual Archives of Monaco has accumulated a very rich collection of professional and amateur films, photographs and audio files, coming from local and international institutions and Monegasque families.
6 Jun, 2017
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