Day: 24 June 2019

The entire contents of one of Monaco’s last remaining Belle Epoque mansions will go up for auction on Tuesday in Paris. Affectionately known as the ‘pink villa’, L’Échauguette is currently on the market for a record asking price, but its precious contents will not form part of that highly anticipated sale.

If the €110 million price tag for L’Échauguette, a six-floor villa overlooking Saint Dévote in Monaco, is out of budget, then perhaps a French gilt-bronze mounted ebony and Japanese lacquer cabinet circa 1870 for 250,000€ is more appropriate. This stunning piece by Alfred Beurdeley is one of hundreds of lots to be sold by Sotheby’s at auction on Tuesday 25th in Paris.

Titled Vue sur la Riviera – La Villa d’un Collectionneur, or ‘Riviera View – The Villa of a Collector’, the auction will feature fine Russian ceramics and gilt silver from a famous era in the French Riviera.

According to Sotheby’s, when the owners renovated the property in 2008 they followed the tradition of previous aristocratic owners in perpetuating the same Belle Époque ambiance.

“In an atmosphere of quiet elegance they sponsored musical evenings, talks about art and entertained royally. They aimed to recreate the mood and feel of a grand Belle Époque villa with only the best of what the exciting industrial age of the 19th century could produce in furniture and decorative arts,” reads the auction description.

They scoured salerooms and catalogues, met antique dealers and collectors, searching for the very best of paintings and furniture made by furniture makers such as Linke, Dasson, Zweiner, Sormani. They dressed vitrines with splendid ceramics with imperial provenance and sumptuous Fabergé silver, and added Imperial silver gilt services that the Tsarina Catherine might once have dined upon.

But now they have decided to move on and let others share the fruits of their passion for collecting and love of these astoundingly energetic periods in the history of decorative art.”

The neo-classical Villa Échauguette is one of the last of its era in Monaco, and the asking price of €110 million is exceptional even for the Principality.

The villa’s former owner, François Blanc, was a French casino mogul who invested heavily in building Monaco’s casino industry. He helped transform the tiny city-state into an international destination for the wealthy.

For a full list of auction items, visit the website here.

Read also: Historic villa goes on the market for record price

The Monaco government has issued a health warning as the temperatures soar across Europe this week.

Forecasts show Monaco reaching the low 30’s by Thursday, and possibly higher later in the week. With these hotter temps comes a higher risk of heat-related complications, such as dehydration and sun stroke. The elderly, children, the ill and pregnant women are affected most.  

But there are steps that can be taken to lessen the stress that heat puts on the body, and the health department has issued some advice.   

They are: avoid being outside between 11am and 5pm, which are generally considered the hottest hours of the day. If you must be outside, wear lightweight, light coloured clothing and hats and avoid strenuous exercise. Spend at least two to three hours in a cool place and take regular cool, not cold, baths or showers. Drink at least 1.5 litres of water and don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Stay away from alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks, as they speed up dehydration in the body and avoid being around concentrated sources of heat like ovens.

It is important to keep a special eye on loved ones and friends who are at higher risk, so reach out regularly to them to be on the safe side. If someone you know or you yourself are suffering from extreme heat, contact the fire brigade on 112 immediately.

 By following these easy guidelines, everyone can enjoy summer fun-in-the-sun, without stress.

Learning about local history just became much more fun! The first in a series of books teaching kids about Monaco’s history has just been released. Titled Monaco, My Story, the book documents the earliest history of the Principality, covering the topics of prehistory and antiquity.

The book was created using information collected from the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology and was written by Armelle Borro, head of the Pedological Training Centre, and Caroline Leroy, Pedological Advisor., and was prefaced by Prince Albert II.

This kid-tested interactive book for CE2 classes is a first for local schools.

Prince Albert, Patrice Cellario, Government Counselor-Minister of the Interior, and Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education, Youth and Sports were among the many distinguished persons in attendance at the unveiling presentation.

Monaco, My Story will be introduced in the 2019-2020 school year and will be followed by two more volumes for CM1 and CM2, covering the Middle Ages to the Restoration and the Contemporary Era, respectively.

The Spanish branch of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has honoured personalities and organisations for their commitment to the preservation of the planet.

The 12th award ceremony of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation took place on Thursday 20th June in Madrid, at the Reina Sofia Museum. The event recognised efforts in the preservation of biodiversity and management of water resources.

“I wanted to create these awards to give my full support to the exceptional men and women who are committed to saving our planet,” said Prince Albert.

The Climate Change prize was awarded to Danish company Ørsted, one of the leading companies in the energy sector that has successfully abandoned fossil fuels and turned to renewable energies.

The Water Prize was awarded to the Tribunal de Las Aguas, Tribunal des Eaux de Valence. Registered since 2009 with UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Water Court is the oldest judicial institution in Europe.

The Biodiversity Award was awarded to Dr. Brad Lister and Dr. Andres Garcia Aguayo for their biological research work that they have been conducting together for many years.

The Special Prize was awarded to Christiana Figueres for her remarkable commitment to climate change.

The awards ceremony was governed by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, in conjunction with its 26th Board of Directors meeting during which 16 new projects were submitted for approval following the advice of the Scientific and Technical Committee.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation also formalised the opening of its 10th representative office in Beijing, China, and its manager Robert Shi, who will be responsible for developing new projects in collaboration with environmental authorities and Chinese NGOs.

GRECO, or the Group of States against Corruption, celebrated 20 years at an official ceremony in Strasbourg last week. The 49 member state organisation was attended by a delegation from Monaco including Director of Judicial Services, Laurent Anselmi. In his speech, Mr Anselmi reiterated Monaco’s ongoing cooperation and commitment to the organisation and its principles.

The conference was an opportunity to exalt the accomplishments of GRECO, as well as evaluate the needs of the member states, discuss risks and future challenges, and propose new programmes, notably a new anti-corruption programme.

The end goal is to establish a pan-European centre in the ongoing fight against corruption.

Monaco has been part of GRECO since 2008.