The creative encounters programme for children, organised by Terres méditerranéennes, continues at the Jardin Exotique.
On Sunday, March 12, from 2:30 to 4 pm, “Vegetable Calendar” with Marina Di Mattei will help kids from the age of 5 to create a seasonal calendar of the vegetable gardens of our region.
Then two weeks later, “Annunciation – inspired by the masterpieces of Italian art” with Cathy Cuby takes place on Saturday, March 25, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The workshop involves the creation of an Annunciation scene, reproducing elements of masterpieces by Italian artists and decorating it using seeds and colours.
The workshops rare free. Admission to the association: €25/per child or €40 for 2 children.
Registration details should include names and ages of children and be sent to termedmonaco@gmail.com or 06 22 80 01 66.
More than 150 years ago, before the urbanisation of the Principality, ninety percent of its land, which in those days included Roquebrune and Menton, was used for agricultural development and farmers were taxed on citrus produce.
When the railway link connecting Monaco to France began service, five years after SBM opened the Monte Carlo Casino in 1863, tourism quickly replaced the agriculture economy as visitors, either looking for Lady Luck at the world famous casino or wanting to take a gander at how one percent of the other half live, descended in steady numbers on the principality.
Philip Culazzo makes Monaco’s only orange liqueur
Although today’s Monaco is described as “100 percent urban”, it still has a trace of those agricultural roots, with its 600 bitter orange trees, which you’ll find along avenue Grande-Bretagne, and boulevards Suisse, Italie and Moulins. A detail not overlooked by resident Philip Culazzo.
“I trade foodstuffs,” Mr Culazzo, who’s lived in the Principality for seven years, tells Monaco Life, “and I understand quality control. Monaco’s orange trees are organic, they are not treated with pesticides, but they are too bitter to eat, so charitable organisations cannot use them. It’s a shame that they are wasted.”
Mr Culazzo, a Dubliner with French and Italian heritage, was also aware that while Monaco offers a great deal in terms of sightseeing and culture, and visiting family and friends, there was no locally-made product that tourists could buy as a memento or that residents could offer to their guests.
Two years ago, Mr Culazzo contacted the government to inquire whether he could experiment with some of the bitter oranges. He bought distilling and fermentation equipment and started testing. When he presented the results to the administration, they were on board. He founded l’Orangerie in 2015.
“I love wines and spirits, and often visit vineyards on holidays,” he told Monaco Life from his recently opened shop at 9 rue de la Turbie, near Place des Armes. “I’m not an oenologist, I’m not a scientist, so I’m learning about the chemical process of transforming oranges into a digestif that tastes this good.”
Four ingredients make up l’Orangerie: Monaco bitter oranges, a small amount of sugar, water and alcohol. Similar to limoncello, the alcohol content is 30 percent. Last year, 15,000 tonnes of oranges produced 50,000 bottles.
“There are no added colours or chemicals, the drink is 100 percent natural,” Mr Culazzo explains. A framed letter in French on the wall behind him expresses appreciation for the bottle of l’Orangerie, the first ever produced, from HSH Prince Albert.
“You may find some deposits at the bottom of the bottle, but this follows the trend of organic wines also.”
The orange liqueur is produced entirely on site, from the manual peeling to production. During the two-month harvest, which started the first week of January, a month earlier than usual due to the warmer weather, Monaco’s garden services deliver crates of Monaco’s finest (and only) citrus directly to rue de la Turbie. The fragrance of the oranges cannot be contained within the atelier.
Philip Culazzo offers a degustation to Secretary of State at the Palace, Mr Jacques Boisson, and his wife.
Secretary of State at the Palace, Jacques Boisson, and his wife, returning to the Rock after lunch, are intrigued by the aroma and the colourful window front so decide to pop in. They’re offered a degustation of the orange liqueur by Mr Culazzo.
The Boissons, a delightful couple who lived for many years in New York and also Paris, are instant fans of the drink – “very fragrant, ideal as an apéro with friends” – and purchase a bottle, which sells for €25.
“My goal is to sell 50,000 bottles a year,” says Mr Culazzo. “The idea is Monaco first and foremost, and I hope people will have a bottle in their homes to offer visitors.”
The eye-catching bottle, which reflects glamour of the thirties, uses a textured paper like an orange peel. L’Orangerie has permission to sell bottles directly from the atelier, but it’s also available to buy at the Wine Palace and Mr Room Service. Otherwise, restaurants, beach clubs, bars and nightclubs in Monaco are beginning to stock it.
Already the orange-flavoured liqueur has inspired several cocktails: The Monaco Spritz (orange liqueur, Prosecco, ice and zest), The Rocher (with gin) and the rose-syrup La Gracieuse, and surely more will follow.
Article first published February 16, 2017.
Monte-Carlo Fashion Week supports Princess Charlene Foundation
The Executive Organising Committee of this highly anticipated event agreed to support the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, which was launched in December 2012 by the Princess with a primary objective to save lives by putting an end to accidental drowning, especially among children. Its mission is to raise public awareness about the dangers of water, teach children to swim while learning safety measures through the “Learn to Swim” and “Water Safety” programmes.
The Monte-Carlo Fashion Week 2017 will be held during the Italian National Day on Friday, June 2, and will celebrate Made-in-Italy with an exceptional guest, Chiara Boni, the renowned and revolutionary Italian designer. She will have the honour of closing the runway on Friday, June 2, with her collection Chiara Boni-La Petite Robe.
The three-day programme includes the opening Gala and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 1, at the legendary Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.
Flight Network, the US-based travel company, has chosen Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo as one of the top ten luxury hotels worldwide.
Located in the Golden Square of the Principality of Monaco, Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo features four Joël Robuchon restaurants, the Odyssey outdoor pool haven designed by Karl Lagerfeld, and signature “Just For You” programming showcasing the best of Monaco – from F1 racing along the Grand Prix track to backstage access at Ballet de Monte-Carlo.
In March, Hotel Metropole opened the third Givenchy spa in the world – Spa Metropole by Givenchy– offering a special selection of treatments specifically curated for the hotel. Newly launched programming includes the Golden Eye Experience – reserved exclusively for visitors staying in the hotel’s Suite Carré d’Or penthouse, featuring 180-degree views of Monte-Carlo and Mediterranean Sea from the outdoor terrace. Guests experience Monaco the James Bond way, from a private tour of the Monte Carlo Casino to an Aston Martin drive through the French Riviera.
The outdoor Odyssey is a concept created by Karl Lagerfeld – centred on an al fresco-style glass installation portraying the journey of Ulysses with a heated salt-water pool, private cabanas and terrace gardens. At night, Odyssey is opens to non-guests, with its lounge atmosphere with lively music and cocktails. According toFlight Network, it’s the go-to destinations in Monaco to “see and be seen”.
The International Union of Powerboating (UIM) has held its eighth edition of its World Champions Awards Giving Gala at the Monte Carlo Sporting, with Prince Albert among the special guests. The awards ceremony, attended by more than 450 people, was broadcast live on UIM TV and the Olympic Channel.
UIM President Raffaele Chiulli and Bund Holding head Xin Chongjie welcomed Prince Albert at a pre-awards reception, where he was introduced to the innovatory BUND Electric Integrated Propulsion System (EIPS) high-performance marine racing engine.
The engine is due to be used in the 2018 UIM-H2O Nations Cup World Series and the V20 solar boat for the 2017 Monaco Offshore Solar Race.
“The eighth edition of the UIM Awards Giving Ceremony and Gala Dinner also coincides with our 95th anniversary, which gives the event an extra special touch,” Mr Chiulli said. “Special thanks go to HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, who regularly honours the UIM with his presence, and to all the world champions and distinguished guests on this special occasion.
“In 2016 the UIM organised close to 150 titled events worldwide in the disciplines of offshore, circuit, pleasure navigation and aquabike and it fills me with honour and pride to welcome the resulting world champions to Monaco.
“This year’s edition also bears witness to our new partner China’s Bund Holding Group who enjoyed a successful 2016 as local organisers of UIM Aquabike and Nations Cup events in China and whose plans for the future are built on ground-breaking technical innovation with an immense potential to ‘green’ our sport.”
Mr Chiulli announced the appointment of Marco Casiraghi as the UIM’s green energies ambassador.
There was a strong environmental theme to the evening. The 2016 UIM Environmental Award was won by Terra Modena Mechatronic Srl for its full electric engine for powerboat racing. Special mentions were made of the environmentally-friendly XCat Grand Prix in the Swiss city of Lugano, Mercury Racing for the 400S ROS Competition Outboard and Vripack for the V5 solar race boat.
The first “Sport For All Award” and and the first-ever Junior Driver and Driver of the Year awards, went to Estonia’s Stefan Arand and the late Massimo Rossi of Italy respectively. Formula One powerboat legend Guido Cappellini was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Jean Todt was also an award winner, receiving the UIM Safety Award for his role in the FIA’s “Action for Road Safety” campaign. The accolade was accepted on his behalf by FIA Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker. (Feature image: uimpowerboating.com)
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was the guest of honour at a surprise party in London this week, organised by Monaco personality and former team boss Flavio Briatore.
Mr Briatore had no problem in assembling top F1 personalities to celebrate the career of the former Grand Prix supremo, who was removed from his executive post earlier this year following the takeover by Liberty Media.
Attending the party were Prince Albert, former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Mr Briatore said later on Instagram: “I organised a ‘surprise dinner’ in London for the 40 years in Formula 1 of Bernie Ecclestone. The amazing thing is that all the people I invited were present. Normally, if you invite 100 people, you have 60 people who confirm they can attend because you are talking about people that are very busy – or who live many thousands of kilometres away.
“But everybody came to London, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Salman of Bahrain, Stefano Domenicali, Piero Ferrari, David Coulthard, Max Mosley, Niki Lauda, and many other people.”
Stating that it was a “kind of tribute to Bernie’s career”, Mr Briatore added, “He was not treated well by the new Formula 1 bosses. People forget easily what this man has created. It was a bit of a sad evening, but very beautiful.”
