Annales monégasques

Did people who lived in Monaco during the French Revolution, had the sense of belonging to a community? The pre-revolutionary censes do not give a lot of details as the aim was to establish a religious state for the priest needs. What kind of identity did the revolutionaries give to Monaco, a principality deprived of its prince? (full text in French)

This double anniversary is a great opportunity for the author to refer to the main money improvements under each reign. The next part of this article is published in the Annales monégasques n°37. (full text in French)

Massenet and Camille Saint-Saëns were Prince Albert I’s favorite compositors. Besides, the correspondence he had with both compositors highlights the protagonists’ friendship and mutual respect. The letters presented in this article only deal with Camille Saint-Saëns, from 1900 to 1921, and also refer to Raoul Gunsbourg, who was the director of the Opera of Monte-Carlo at that time. (full text in French)

A relationship, an agreement, two bulls… here are the texts chosen by the author so as to highlight the privileged link between the Holy See and Monaco. They are all extracted from the Palace’s archives, and are dated from the late 14th century to the early 16th century. (full text in French)

This study, which was done in 1908, is still hard to find nowadays. It deals with a little known part of Jean I’s life and personality, who had a taste for adventure, along the lines of men from his social environment. The author talks about this lord in the heart of the political events of that time. (full text in French)

When he was very young, Honoré III was directed to a military career by his father the Duke of Valentinois. From 1736 to 1748, he took part to the battles led by the French kingdom, where he brilliantly distinghuished by assuming different ranks. (full text in French)

After having dealt with the white and black confraternities, and the Archconfraternity of Monaco (see Annales monégasques n°15, 16 and 28), the author now talks about their counterpart from Menton. Indeed, until 1861 and its secession to France, Menton was part of the principality and as a result, had a common religious history. (full text in French)

This article presents a talks analysis about the wedding of Honoré III, some detailed plans and ceremonies. This marriage was important because the bride was not French as she came from Genoa, and that this was the last wedding before the French Revolution. (full text in French)

On January, 5th 1911, Prince Albert I granted his subjects a Constitution which transformed the absolute monarchy into a modern law, based on a constitutional system. The author presents the legal details of such a fundamental change. Indeed, adjustments have been made since 1911, and this constitution is the base of the current political life in Monaco. (full text in French)

This article presents the circus festival year after year until 2010, with the originalities depending on the represented countries. It also highlights the new circus acts which became more and more aesthetics. (full text in French)

The Order of the visitation of Holy Mary was founded in 1610 by Saint-François de Sales and Saint-Jeanne de Chantal. Its history, from its origins to its dismantling, illustrates the Monegasque society of the 17th and 18th centuries. The princes of Monaco and their family were close to this Order. (full text in French)

Richly illustrated by archives photographies, this article covers the history of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, which is nowadays a key event. But this has not always been the case… (full text in French)

The torpedoing of the german ship Netztender 44 is not a well-known episode of Second World War which occurred in the principality. Relying on different testimonies of that time and a detailed reconstruction, this article tells us more about this period, when Monaco, a haven of peace, also faced several civilian casualties. (full text in French)

Two documents, of the utmost historical importance, are translated from latin and preceded by some instructions. They refer to Jean Grimaldi’s feudal investiture and the donation of Menton and Roquebrune lordships by the Duke of Savoy (December 19th 1448). Then, the documents present Jean’s will, “charte fondamentale du droit grimaldien” (April, 5th 1454). (full text in French)

In this third and last part, Prince Antoine describes several cities, among which Suze, Chambéry, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Strasbourg, Manheim, Stuttgart, Munich, Francfort, Mayence, Cologne, Utrecht and Amsterdam. The duke hurriedly went back to Paris after this stay, without mentioning any explanation. Was it his father’s wish as the journey took a long time? (full text in French)

Prince Antoine I was well-known as being the “musician prince”. His passion for the music was so intense that he constituted an orchestra who played Italian or French scores every day. However, he only corresponded with French composers. This article is based on quotes from some letters between the prince and Destouches, Couperin, Pécourt and Rebel, in particular from 1722 to 1731. (full text in French)

This article deals with the patron role adopted by the princes of Monaco, relying on the example of the Monegasque painter named Jean-Baptiste Vignali. He was taught thanks to Honoré III’s generosity and had an enviable career in France and in Italy, ruined by the French Revolution hazards. (full text in French)

At that time, much has been written about what happened in 1819, in Roquebrune village. According to Honoré V, this was an “absurd mystification” and a political affront, but it created an idolatry phenomenon within the population. (full text in French)

In this second part, the Duke of Valentinois mainly wrote down about Rome, and described several cities like Spoletto, Bologne, Modena, Parma, Plaisance, Pavia, Milan, Bergame, Mantoue, Ferrare, Malamocco, Venice, Padoue, Verceil and put an end to his trip in Turin, in Savoy at that time. The last part, published in the Annales monégasques n°34, deals with Swiss and German cities. (full text in French)

The power of issuing money was one of the best ways to affirm a state’s sovereignty. The princes who used this money had different opinions, just like their daily concerns. They were taken in a financial system and had to adapt, in order to survive from day to day. The author wonders about the room for a possible symbolic in the princes’ minds. (full text in French)

This article complements the other studies dedicated to the chapels, published in the the Annales monégasques n°7, 15, 16 and 31. It deals with the history of some private family chapels in the Monaco surburb, namely the chapels of the Annonciade, Saint-Roman, the Immaculate Conception ( on the rock, the condamine and La Costa areas), Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the Larvotto area, the chapel of the Gonzalès family situated in Bas-Moulins, and the one of Saint-Pierre, in the Carnier area. (full text in French)

In July 1641, Aurelia Spinola married Hercule, Prince Honoré II’s son. Widowed young, she had to face a period of political troubles. Her history was recounted by a clergyman, Francesco Fulvio Frugoni, who also depicted the lifestyle of the Honoré II’s Court. (full text in French)

Antoine, Duke of Valentinois, future Prince Antoine I, undertook a “Big Tour” in order to complete his education. He wrote down his impressions in a travel journal. He visited several countries and described the towns he passed through with more or less details. This first part is dedicated to his impressions about the main cities of the Riviera until Genoa, Pisa, Lucques, Pistoia, Florence and Sienna. The second part of this trip is published in the issue n° 33 of the Annales monégasques. (full text in French)

Nowadays, there is only one chapel within the Palace : Saint-Jean-Baptiste chapel. Before dealing with its history, the article highlights other missing places : Saint-François chapel, especially dedicated to the women of the palace, and the chapels of Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague and the Virgin. (full text in French)

François-Honoré Grimaldi was Prince Antoine I’s brother. This article recounts the dramas and the financial troubles which hindered his ecclesiastical career, based on the correspondence with his brother and the government. His concerns were fundamental as they constitute the social melting pot that the Grimaldis belong to. (full text in French)

The power of issuing money was one of the best ways to affirm a state’s sovereignty. But the way Prince Louis II judiciously used it during the Second World War, had a strong symbolic magnitude. (full text in French)

The secular education was officially established by Prince Albert I in 1911, within the framework of constitutional arrangements. The clergymen taught reading, writing and other core subjects. This is the subject of this article which covers this topic through ages. (full text in French)

The relationships between the Monaco Lordship and the Genoa Republic often changed as the independence of the principality depended on the acceptance of Genoa. The siege of Monaco in 1506-1507 is one of the episodes that the author recounts, by depicting the political, regional and international context of that time. (full text in French)

This is the second part of an article published in the Annales monégasques n° 29, which gives more informations about the foundations of the castle in Monaco. (full text in French)

Born in a Rotterdam surburb, Kees van Dongen settled in Monaco in 1949, after having stayed in Paris for several years. His death, in 1968, was undercovered by the political events of that time. This article presents the eccentric and talented painter, relying on an unreleased interview about his career. (full text in French)

Sacha Guitry made Prince Florestan I an operetta hero. Is it because he stood for a principality based on an operetta? Or is it because of the sovereign who enjoyed theater? What are the limits of the legend and when does the real life start? The author makes a link between Sacha Guitry’s work and the historical truth. (full text in French)

We can find a trace of hotels from the 17th century; but their development started in the second-half of the 19th century, when means of transport, like the train or by the sea, got better. The Société des Bains de Mer attracted tourists thanks to the casino, settled in the Monte-Carlo area, as Charles III wished. (full text in French)

At the age of 18, when he went to the French Court to meet his future wife Antoinette of Savoy, Jean Grimaldi was requested by his father to carry out a delicate mission. This article is a good opportunity to immerse in the medieval time, when the Monaco Lordship had to fight against the other Lordships who disputed his territory. (full text in French)

Hercule Florence was born in 1804 in Nice, from a Monegasque mother. Attracted by wide open spaces and discoveries, he migrated to Brazil twenty years later, as part of a scientific expedition. He became an ingenious inventor : “zoophonia”, “polygraphia”, but above all, he created in August 1833, the photography concept. Furthermore, he was the first one to use this word. (full text in French)

In 1605, Monaco became a garrison town. This article talks about the French servicemen who stood in for the Spanish, after 1641. They offered the local population an additional work force, their own health workers, and they were also at the origin of a commodity traffic that benefited all. However, this cohabitation was a source of brawls and troubles. In this case, can we talk about integration ? (full text in French)

Nowadays, the Moulins area is composed of luxury boutiques, but its name refers to history. Relying on maps, plans and photographies, this article deals with this industrial area and population, where several mills were built (flour and oil mills), from the 13th century to the middle of the 20th century. (full text in French)

Charles Grimaldi was Rainier’s son, admiral of France and victorious of Zierikzee. He was involved with his father by fighting alongside the French king, Philippe VI, until 1341. His victories permitted him to have subsidies, and he undertook some fortification works around the rock of Monaco. (full text in French)

This article refers to the original texts which deal with the foundations of the castle in Monaco. Besides, more recent documents and the results of historical researches allow us to have a better understanding about it. The second part of this study is published in the Annales monégasques n°31. (full text in French)

Guillaume Apollinaire spent several years in Monaco and was at Saint-Charles school. He wrote down his memories in a collection entitled “La vie anecdotique”, and depicted several contemporary characters, famous or unknown. Among them, Adrien Blandignère, an eccentric writer. This subject is a good opportunity to go back to the Carnieri area in Beausoleil, in the end of the 19th century, with pictures of that time. (full text in French)

In Monaco, the houses have a thing in common : they were built after 1861, when Prince Charles III decided to restructure his State, because of the assignment of Menton and Roquebrune. Several photographies illustrate this article. (full text in French)

Only a few letters published by Alphonse Daudet between 1866 and 1868, were translated par the Canon Georges Franzi, a Provence lover. The letters, read in the Monegasque speaking language, are also available in the three CD attached to the hard copy of this issue. (full text in French)

This article is the continuation of previous articles by the same author published in Annales monégasques n°15 and 16, concerning the “White Penitents” and the “Black Penitents” confraternities. After the French Revolution and despite the popular protests, both confraternities were dissolved. In 1813 they merged and became an archconfraternity, which demonstrated the Monegasques’ attachment to traditions. (full text in French)

This “Manifesto” was written after the Spanish expulsion by Prince Honoré II, helped by some of his subjects. The text, published in its entirety, is composed of many notes and narrates this episode. A letter from the Prince to the Count of Siruela, regarding the retoration of his golden fleece, is also presented. (full text in French)

This article plunges us into Monaco from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, thanks to the Louis Notari’s manuscript transcription that has never been published before. (full text in French)

The region of Monaco’s geography and geology partly explains its populating and the originality of its history. (full text in French)

Louise-Félicité-Victoire d’Aumont, Duchess of Mazarin, married the future prince Honoré IV of Monaco, on July 15th 1777. Their divorce in 1793 is the subject of this article which highlights the financial and family troubles that led to this separation. (full text in French)

In the 17th century, Devota, patron saint of Monaco, was chosen to be represented on the coins of this young principality. The author describes the representations of Devota on coins until the 20th century. (full text in French)

In these troubled times, the members of the princely family reacted different ways. This article covers each of them; Prince Honoré III, his former wife Marie-Catherine de Brignole Sale, he separated from in 1771, their children, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. Each in their own way, had to put up with the French Revolution. (full text in French)

The work achieved in France by Honoré V is little known but fundamental. He had to face the French Revolution and the unstable political life with the successive restorations. His ultimate goal was to bring his family back to their social and economic status. (full text in French)

Among the residences built on the rock, the « Desert » and its garden occupied a special place. Built in 1718 following a princess wish, it was successively the residence of the first governor of Monaco, then a casino and was demolished in 1889 to be substituted by a school. Nowadays, it is situated for a part, on the FANB school, and the other part is presently occupied by the government. (full text in French)

Born into a modest family, Constant Roux became the most requested sculptor from the Prince Albert I’s Court. He also worked in Paris, creating monumental statues and official portraits. (full text in French)

This article provides even more clarifications about an article previously published in Annales monégasques n°3, entitled The fortifications of Monaco. (full text in French)

Throughout his life, Prince Albert I was interested in physics and human sciences. He had a correspondence with the countess Greffulhe, a great musician and patron, who actively helped to the contemporary music spreading. Those letters highlight the ideas of both protagonists, who respect each other despite their spirit disagreement. (full text in French)

Louise-Hippolyte and her husband Jacques de Matignon had nine children. Six of them reached adulthood, but their destinies were different because of their sex, obviously, but also their parents’ history and their mother’s death. (full text in French)

Clothes may be the mirror of the soul but also ordinary materials used to protect bodies. In Monaco, in the 17th and 18th centuries, notarial deeds provided numerous examples, in particular with the trousseau. This is a great opportunity to describe the evolution of appearance, freedom and dictates of fashion, within an economic system which fuled trade. (full text in French)

The religious practice in Monaco, in the very beginning of modern times, did not benefit from a specific and detailed study. That is the reason why the author presents the main actors (priests, priors, rectors and flagellants), in their geographical (chapels) and historical (worships of saints, testaments, feasts and processions) context. (full text in French)

From Honoré II’s reign, the author analyses the reasons why this prince added two decorative structures to his Palace : a French garden and the bath pavilion. Lost during the first part of the 19th century, the plans have been recreated and replaced to their initial position. (full text in French)

Gaston Leroux was a compulsive gambler who settled in Menton then in Nice. His life is a good opportunity to take a close look at the Casino of Monte-Carlo, during a night of February 1902. Thanks to his writings, like Le sept de trèfle, Mister Flow or Décavé, this article shows the aristocratic and artistic life of this gaming establishment. (full text in French)