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Day: 26 November 2020

Maradona’s footprint on Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/11/2020

As the world mourns the death of football great Diego Maradona, we turn back time to 2003, when the Argentinian legend left his mark – quite literally – on the Principality.
Football fans across the globe were shocked to hear the sudden passing of Diego Maradona on Wednesday. He died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires just days after successfully receiving surgery on a brain blood clot, aged 60-years-old.
AS Monaco football club took to Twitter to join the world in mourning his death, writing: “A magnificent player has just left us. Rest in peace Diego”.

On their website, the club shared that he was “an example for many Argentinian players who came to AS Monaco, including Omar Da Fonseca, Ramon Diaz and Marcelo Gallardo.”
But Diego Maradona left more than great memories and inspiration in the Principality. He was also the first sportsperson to receive the Golden Foot award in Monaco on 26th August 2003, an international recognition given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality.
Maradona was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, and became a Napoli club legend scoring 81 goals in 188 appearances. He was also a compelling character, known practically everywhere, by everyone.
For his award in Monaco, a brass plaque was created, featuring an imprint of his most precious gift – his feet – together with his signature and his jersey number ‘10’.

Diego Maradona’s brass plaque on Monaco’s Champions Promenade

The Argentinian marks the start of the Champions Promenade in Monaco, a beautiful walking path which runs behind the Grimaldi Forum and hugs the Mediterranean Sea. He is joined by other football greats including Platini, Ronaldo, Fontaine, Rivera, Kopa, Madjer, Pelé, Gullit, Figo, and Zanetti.
It is Monaco’s equivalent to Hollywood Boulevard, something that Maradona himself recognised in 2003.
He told reporters at the time: “I said before that Hollywood has actors’ hands, but for the footballers this place will be more fascinating.”
 


Top photo source: Golden Foot Awards Monaco
 
 

Grace Kelly silver screen mask collection

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/11/2020

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA has unveiled an exclusive line of limited-edition, hand-sewn face masks inspired by Grace Kelly’s iconic fashion looks to help support the creative community in America.
The face masks were designed exclusively for the Foundation by Paul Tazewell, Princess Grace Award Winner, Tony Award-winning Hamilton costume designer and designer for Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story.
The limited-edition face masks feature three designs inspired by Grace Kelly’s most memorable fashion moments on the silver screen – Rear Window, Dial M for Murder and To Catch a Thief – along with a sleek mask design heralding the Foundation’s illustrious crown logo.
“We look forward to selling these hand sewn limited edition masks to people who are interested in supporting the arts as well as anyone who is a fan of Princess Grace’s iconic Hitchcock film looks,” Brisa Trinchero, CEO Princess Grace Foundation-USA told Monaco Life.
The face masks can be obtained by donating to the Foundation – $100 per mask (approx. €85) – and the proceeds will directly support the Princess Grace Foundation’s performing arts grants program and put critical funds directly into the hands of many deserving artists at a time when they need it most.
Under the direction of Matthew Neff’s company neffnyc, a full-time costume stitcher for the current Broadway revival of West Side Story, these unique masks are being hand-sewn by the artisans of Broadway’s costume community who lost their jobs due to Covid-19.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Princess Grace Foundation and receive your choice of Grace Kelly-inspired face masks, visit https://pgfusa.org/masks/.
 
 

Monaco donates €15,000 for Christmas presents

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/11/2020

Prince Albert II of Monaco has made sure that the littlest victims of Storm Alex are not forgotten this Christmas.
After Storm Alex, the hard-hit Roya Valley struggled, and is still struggling, to find a bit of normalcy again.
As the holiday season approaches, the Monegasque government, on the explicit instruction of Prince Albert II, has donated €15,000 to ‘Solidarity Christmas for the Children of the Roya Valley’, an initiative by the Member of the French National Assembly for the Alpes-Maritimes Alexandra Valetta-Ardisson.
The idea is to offer children up to 14-years-old in the area – nearly 600 in total – a gift for them to open on Christmas Day. The Monegasque donation should make it possible to purchase one gift for each affected child.
The gesture is a show of solidarity between the Principality and the people living in the remote valleys of the region.
Just days after Storm Alex ravaged the area, Prince Albert made an official visit and later instructed his government to give the Roya, Vesubie and Tinée Valleys, as well as the town of Ventimiglia, €1 million to help in recovery efforts.
 
Related stories:

Prince visits storm-ravaged valleys

 
 

Raising awareness through film

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/11/2020

Over 500 students in Monaco were invited to be jury members for Le Temps Presse Festival this week, an event designed to raise awareness about poverty and sustainability through film.

Le Temps Presse Festival is supported by the Prince’s government and is now its 10th year.

The nominated films were screened at the Théâtre des Variétés from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25thNovember and the pupils were asked to vote for their favourite short films that had been submitted from filmmakers around the world.

There were three categories in the youth prize arena: the Children’s Prize, the Secondary School Prize and the Student’s Prize.

The films were required to have a connection in some way with the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and were meant to be tools in helping to raise awareness.

Founder Marc Oberon presided over the festival and this year welcomed a record-setting 27 classes from eight different local schools to participate. The children were asked to choose from the five films nominated and their votes will be counted and added to the other youth members of the jury who are located in Monaco’s partner countries – Mali, Madagascar and Burkina Faso.

For the first time, due to the health crisis, the Students Prize votes were cast online. Students from Sciences Po Paris, Mediterranean Middle East campus in Menton watched the six shortlisted films and together chose their winner.

This educational activity is part of a partnership agreement signed in 2014, renewed this autumn, with the Department of International Cooperation and the Campus. The entities collaborate to raise students’ awareness of development issues and the fight against poverty in the world.

The award ceremony for Le Temps Presse Festival will be held in April 2021 in Paris.

 

Photo: Bénédicte Schutz, Director of International Cooperation, and Marc Obéron, founder of the Le Temps Presse Festival © Communication Department / Michael Alesi
 
 
 

Clean-up day at Port Hercule

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/11/2020

As part of European Waste Reduction Week, Stars ‘N’ Bars and Eco Angels are hosting a cigarette butt clean-up at Port Hercule this weekend.

The two groups are doing their bit for European Waste Reduction Week by hosting a cigarette butt collection on Saturday, 28th November from 3:15pm.

In addition to the clean-up, those interested will be able to learn about and sign up for the National Pact for Energy Transition on Saturday at the restaurant, getting a free reusable water bottle as part of the deal. There are only a limited number of water bottles and it is advised to come early so people don’t miss out.  

Eco Angels is a volunteer group, led by Stars ‘N’ Bars, who collect rubbish around Monaco’s port. They are especially active after events such as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monaco Yacht Show and are equally so during special weeks such as World Clean-up Day and European Waste Reduction Week. 

Monaco has been active in putting in place various measures to reduce the number of butts finding their way onto the streets, parks and beaches, such as the placement of ashtrays at the entrances to Larvotto Beach and the sale of pocket ashtrays. Additionally, the Principality has formed a relationship with a French company that converts cigarette butts into carbon fibre components, giving them a second, non-polluting life.

The event on Saturday is free, but the organisers are asking people to register so they have an idea of numbers and can put the proper social distancing measures in place. For registration go to https://www.weezevent.com/ramassage-de-megots


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meanwhile, the Mairie de Monaco sponsored a children’s book collection at Stars ‘n’ Bars on Wednesday as part of European Waste Reduction Week. Donations will be given to the children of the Roya valley, the Children’s Education and Protection Association and to the Charles Imbert School in Sainte-Agnès.

 
Photos by Stars ‘n’ Bars
 
Related stories:

European Waste Reduction Week in full swing