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The earlyhistory ofMonaco is primarily concerned with the protective and strategic value of theRock of Monaco, the area's chief geological landmark, which served first as a shelter for ancient peoples and later as a fortress. Part ofLiguria's history since the fall of theRoman Empire, from the 14th to the early 15th century the area was contested for primarily political reasons. Since that point, excepting a brief period ofFrench occupation, it has remained steadily under the control of theHouse of Grimaldi.[1]
The early history of Monaco as a state has its origins in theRepublic of Genoa. TheHoly Roman Empire granted Monaco to the Genoese. Later, the Genoese family of Grimaldi held it throughout the 13th century and later purchased it to rule as a principality. Over its history, it has enjoyed differing levels of autonomy from aparent state, which at times included the Republic of Genoa, theCrown of Aragon, Spain, and France. It was incorporated into France after theFrench Revolution, but later regained some autonomy as aprotectorate of theKingdom of Sardinia in the 19th Century. In 1848, the two cities ofMenton and Roquebrune (Mentone and Roccabruna) seceded and were later lost to France, but Monaco remained independent. France bought Mentone and Roccabruna, and agreed to respect Monaco's sovereignty. Despite the loss of the two towns, from the 1860s onward its economy was focused on tourism and the country enjoyed stability until its territory was occupied by theAxis powers duringWorld War II. After liberation, Monaco worked to secure further independence from France, and was recognized by theUN in 1993. It is not part of theEuropean Union but uses theeuro currency.
Grimaldi man lived here about 30,000 years ago.
According to the accounts of historianDiodorus Siculus and geographerStrabo, the area's first permanent settlers were the mountain-dwellingLigures, who emigrated from their native city ofGenoa, in what is now northernItaly. However, the ancientLigurian language is not directly connected to theGallo-Italiclanguage spoken by the modern inhabitants of Liguria, of whichMonegasque is a dialect.
"According to some authorities, the Egyptians of the Eighteenth Dynasty, according to others, the earlyPhoenicians were the first commercial navigators," who found refuge in the Port of Monaco from the mistral of the sea. The Port and Rock of Monaco were consecrated by the Phoenicians in the name of their deityMelqart. The colony was calledMonoike. After the Phoenicians, the Greeks wrote about the progress and conquests of the journeys and labors ofHeracles. The native Ligurian people asserted that Hercules passed through the area.[2]
During the 6th-century BC,Phocaeans from Massalia (modern dayMarseille) founded the colony of Monoikos.[3] The name of the colony derives from the local veneration of theGreekdemigodHeracles, also later adopted by the Romans, who was said to have constructed the ancient path that passed through the region from Spain to Italy.[3] TheRoman emperorJulian also wrote of Hercules's construction of Monaco's port and a coastal road.[4] The road was dotted with altars to Heracles, and a temple dedicated to him was established on the Rock of Monaco. The namePort Hercules was subsequently used for the ancient port.[3]Monoeci meaning "Single One" orMonoikos meaning "Single House" could be a reference to Hercules or his temple, or the isolated community inhabiting the area around the rock.[3]
According to the "travels of Heracles" theme, also documented byDiodorus Siculus andStrabo, both Greeks and nativeLigurian people asserted thatHeracles passed through the area.
After theGallic Wars,Monoecus, which served as a stopping-point forJulius Caesar on his way to campaign inGreece,[5] fell underRoman control as part of the MaritimeAlps province (Gallia Transalpina).
The Roman poetVirgil called it "that castled cliff, Monoecus by the sea".[6] The commentatorServius's use of the passage[7] asserts, under the entryportus, that the epithet was derived:
either because Hercules drove off everyone else and lived there alone, or because in his temple no other of the gods is worshipped at the same time.
No temple to Hercules has been found at Monaco.[8]
The port is mentioned inPliny the Elder'sNatural History[9] and inTacitus'sHistories,[10] whenFabius Valens was forced to put into the port.
Monaco remained under Roman control until the collapse of theWestern Roman Empire in 476. The city was then under the domain ofOdoacer until his fall at the hands of theOstrogoths in the late 5th century. Monaco was recaptured by the Romans during the reign ofJustinian in the mid-6th century and was held until its capture by theLombards in the 7th century. Monaco then passed hands between the Lombards andFranks. After having been damaged by theSaracens in the 8th century, it was rebuilt by the monks of Saint-Pons inNice, who held it territorially starting from 1075. The city was further damaged and nearly abandoned as Saracen raids continued after they had put under their control a part ofProvence with a base atFraxinetum. Monaco is again mentioned in the 11th century, when the church of St. Mary was built and a borough rose around it.
In 1191,Holy Roman EmperorHenry VI grantedsuzerainty over the area to the city ofGenoa. On 10 June 1215, a detachment of GenoeseGhibellines led by Fulco del Cassello began the construction of a fortress atop the Rock of Monaco. This date is often cited as the beginning of Monaco's modern history.
As the Ghibellines intended their fortress to be a strategic military stronghold and center of control for the area, they set about creating a settlement around the base of the Rock to support the garrison; in an attempt to lure residents from Genoa and the surrounding cities, they offered land grants andtax exemption to new settlers.
TheGrimaldis, descended fromOtto Canella and taking their name from his sonGrimaldo, were an ancient and prominentGuelphic Genoese family.Members of this family, in the course of the civil strife in Genoa between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, took refuge in Monaco, accompanied by various other Guelphic families, most notably theFieschis.
Francesco Grimaldi seized the Rock of Monaco in 1297, starting the Grimaldi dynasty, under the sovereignty of theRepublic of Genoa. The Grimaldis acquiredMenton in 1346 andRoquebrune in 1355, enlarging their possessions. In 1338 Monegasque ships under the command ofCarlo Grimaldi participated, along with those of France and Genoa, in theEnglish Channel naval campaign. Plunder from the sack ofSouthampton was brought back to Monaco, contributing to the principality's prosperity.[11]
TheTreaty of Burgos in 1524 (or the treaty of Tordesilla of 1524), saw Monaco under the authority of Spain as an autonomous state for about a century, and there was a Spanish garrison at the fortress.
Honoré II, Prince of Monaco secured recognition of his independentsovereignty fromSpain in 1633, and then fromLouis XIII of France by theTreaty of Péronne (1641). Since then the area has remained under the control of the Grimaldi family to the present day, except when under French control during theFrench Revolution from 1793 to May 17, 1814, as part of thedépartement ofAlpes-Maritimes.
It was a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1815 to 1860. However, the towns of Mentone and Roccabruna ceded in 1848, and these were annexed by France in 1861. Monaco managed to avoid incorporation into France or Italy, but at the cost of most its territory at that time.
From 1793 to 1814 Monaco was taken over by France.[12]
In 1789, the French seized all the Princely financial assets. The French Revolution progressed, and in 1793 Monaco was seized by the French. The Princely family was put in prison (later freed), the art collections and assets were seized and sold off, and the palace was used as hospital and poor house. In 1814 Napoleon abdicated, and Honore IV was restored to power. However, in the Final Act of theCongress of Vienna in 1815, Monaco was made a protectorate of theKingdom of Sardinia.[12]
The principality was re-established in 1814, only to be designated a protectorate of theKingdom of Sardinia by theCongress of Vienna in 1815 and theTreaty of Stupinigi in 1817. Monaco remained in this position until 1860, when by theTreaty of Turin, Sardinia ceded to France the surrounding county ofNice (as well asSavoy).
In 1848 the towns of Mentone and Roccabruna ceded from Monaco, and in 1849 became a separate protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia. (see alsoFree Cities of Menton and Roquebrune)
With the protectorate, that lasted nearly half a century,Italian was the official language of Monaco. TheMonégasque dialect is closer toLigurian than French, but influenced by both.
During this time there was unrest in the towns ofMenton andRoquebrune, which declared independence, hoping for annexation by Sardinia and participation in the ItalianRisorgimento. The unrest continued until the ruling prince gave up his claim to the two towns (some 95% of the country), and they were ceded to France in return for four million francs. This transfer and Monaco's sovereignty was recognised by theFranco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861.
Designated as a protectorate of theKingdom of Sardinia in 1815 by theCongress of Vienna afterNapoleon's defeat, Monaco's sovereignty was confirmed by theFranco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. France accepted the existence of the Principality of Monaco, but annexed 95% of its former territory (the areas of Menton and Roquebrune). Monaco's military defense since then has been the responsibility of France.
In 1848 the towns of Menton and Roquebrune ceded from Monaco and became protectorates of the Kingdom of Sardinia; this was to theFree Cities of Menton and Roquebrune. However, when Nice County was ceded to France, they were annexed from Monaco, which still had ownership.
Monaco became surrounded by France, when the Kingdom of Sardinia ceded the County of Nice to France in theTreaty of Turin (1860). The next year, in 1861 The Kingdom of Sardinia became a part of the Kingdom of Italy. Monaco had been a Protectorate of Sardinia, and managed to survive these changes, avoiding integration with France or Italy. By the early 1860s it had secured its independence but was now surrounded by France and without Menton or Roquebrune. To make ends meet Monaco would focus on tourism, and built the now famous Monte Carlo casino.
TheCasino of Monte Carlo opened in 1863, organized by theSociété des bains de mer de Monaco, which also ran theHotel de Paris. Taxes paid by the S.B.M. have been plowed into Monaco's infrastructure. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railway link to France.
The Prince of Monaco was anabsolute ruler until theMonegasque Revolution of 1910 forced him to proclaim a constitution in 1911.
In July 1918, a treaty was signed providing for limited French protection over Monaco. The treaty, written into theTreaty of Versailles, established that Monegasque policy would be aligned with French political, military, and economic interests. One of the motivations for the treaty was the upcomingMonaco Succession Crisis of 1918.
While PrinceLouis II's sympathies were strongly pro-French, he tried to keep Monaco neutral duringWorld War II but supported theVichy French government of his old army colleague, MarshalPhilippe Pétain.
Nonetheless, his tiny principality was tormented by domestic conflict partly as a result of Louis's indecisiveness, and also because the majority of the population was of Italian descent; many of them supported thefascist regime of Italy'sBenito Mussolini.
On 11 November 1942, theItalian Armyinvaded and occupied Monaco.[14] Soon after in September 1943, following Mussolini's fall in Italy, theGerman Army occupied Monaco and began thedeportation of the Jewish population.
Among them wasRené Blum, the French Jew who founded the Ballet de l'Opera in Monte Carlo. He was arrested in hisParis home and held in theDrancy deportation camp outside the French capital before being transported to theAuschwitz concentration camp, where he was later killed.[15] Blum's colleagueRaoul Gunsbourg, the director of theOpéra de Monte-Carlo, helped by theFrench Resistance, escaped arrest and fled toSwitzerland.[16] In August 1944, the Germans executedRené Borghini,Joseph-Henri Lajoux andEsther Poggio, who were Resistance leaders.The country was liberated on 3 September 1944 by Allied forces.[17]
Prince Rainier III ascended to the throne following the death of his grandfather, PrinceLouis II, in 1949.[18]
The revisedConstitution of Monaco, proclaimed in 1962, abolished capital punishment, provided for female suffrage, established aSupreme Court to guarantee fundamental liberties and made it difficult for a French national to transfer his or her residence there.[19]
In 1993, Monaco became a member of theUnited Nations with full voting rights.[20]
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarified that if there are no heirs to carry on the dynasty, the Principality will remain an independent nation, rather than be annexed by France. Monaco's military defence, however, is still the responsibility of France.[21]
Prince Albert II succeeded his father Prince Rainier III in 2005.[22]
Monaco's mild climate[23] with historical sites and modern gamblingcasinos,[24] make Monaco a populartourism and recreation centre in the 21st century, with 4.1 tourists per resident as of 2020.[25]
On 29 February 2020, Monaco announced its first case ofCOVID-19, a man who was admitted to thePrincess Grace Hospital Centre then transferred toNice University Hospital in France.[26][27] The virus was confirmed to have reachedMonaco on 29 February 2020.
In the early 2020s there was international news about concerns over government financial accountability in Monaco.[28]
