The newly restored ‘Virgin with the Rosary’, a 16th Century oil on canvas Italian school-style painting, has found its new home on a wall of the Cathedral of Monaco.
The Cultural Affairs Department-led operation has completed restoration on the magnificent art work and has placed it back in its home just in time for the holiday celebrations.
The restoration was carried out by Atelier2 Restauration’s Florence Feuardent, who has been granted authorisation to work for museums and French Historical Monuments.
The painting is not the only piece that has been given new life in 2020. Two organ doors with representations of saints were also restored this year making 10 total painted works that have been refurbished.
The Cultural Affairs Department launched this restoration and conservation programme for the works residing in the Cathedral of Monaco back in 2016.
In order to protect “The Virgin” from degradation in the future, a climate control device has been mounted to the back of the existing frame. The device is unseen by the public and serves to isolate the work from the direct environment. This gives the piece an added level of protection from the main factors that usually deteriorate artworks, such as fluctuations in humidity and variations in temperature.
The device was created and installed by Atelier Gilles Tournillon, a well-known outfit who specialises in cabinetmaking and restoration.
Photo: Government Communication Department / Michael Alesi
The Monaco Municipal Council participated in the beloved holiday tradition of receiving a blessing for their Pan de Natale, a symbol of sharing and unity linked to the Christmas season.
In a year where so little is the same, it is comforting to see some traditions persist. The Mayor of Monaco, Georges Marsan, gathered his deputies Marjorie Crovetto, Françoise Gamerdinger, Jacques Pastor, Karyn Ardisson Salopek and Mélanie Flachaire, along with the President, Claude Manzone and Vice-President, Michel Coppo ofthe National Committee of Monegasque Traditions to a blessing of a Pan du Natale.
Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David, Archbishop of Monaco, did the blessing in the Salle des Mariages at the Town Hall, with full social distancing measures in effect.
The Pan du Natale is a round-shaped bread, historically decorated with a cross formed by either walnuts or hazelnuts and surrounded by olive twigs. In homes, the bread is placed in the centre of the table on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day after being blessed by either the local priest or the head of the household. Thirteen desserts are placed around the bread, one for each day leading up to the Epiphany.
The bread is meant to be shared and offered to those who enter the home during the holiday season in the spirit of giving.
The Town Hall, looking to “emphasize this notion of sharing, by making a donation in favour of one or more associations” presented a cheque of €1,000 to the AFM-Telethon Monaco to show support to the organisation whose work has been greatly curtailed this year due to the pandemic.
Government Ministers Jean Castellini and Didier Gamerdinger have met the inter-union representatives of the Société des Bains de Mer to discuss the overall restructuring plan that the company is putting into place as protests continue among workers.
A meeting held on Friday 18th December between those representing the workers of the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) and the government took stock of the current ongoing negotiations between the company’s management and their employees about how to move forward in light of the financial difficulties the company is facing.
The government has made clear its willingness to assist in any way possible to ensure fair deal and is “listening to the parties involved in the negotiations.”
The restructuring announced by SBM President Jean-Luc Biamonti and dubbed a “social plan” on 2ndOctober on behalf of the SBM Group, is based on three notions. These are: a voluntary departure plan open to all employees over the age of 57 on the condition of non-replacement, a redundancy programme targeted at certain departments due to overstaffing or for reorganisation purposes in order to restore competitiveness, and the renegotiation of certain agreements or practices within the SBM Group.
The plan has been met with some resistance by the employees and negotiations are at a virtual standstill, hence the government offer to step in.
Earlier this month, on 11th December, some 500 SBM staffers met in front of the Casino de Monte-Carlo in a silent protest to make a point about their willingness to fight for jobs and their rights.
Then on Monday 21st December at midday, some of the employees of Le Café de Paris gathered outside on the Place du Casino, criticising the conditions of the proposed plan, specifically against the management’s voluntary departure scheme. Another strike is planned for Tuesday 22nd December, at the same time and place.
The company furloughed almost 90% of their employees back in mid-March as they saw the worst monthly loss in their 150-year history with a 92% drop in turnover.
Photo source: Government Communication’s Department
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain were among the topics discussed between Monegasque financial representatives and those in Luxembourg last week, ahead of a MOU signing in the coming months.
Led by Robert Gelli, Secretary of State for Justice – Director of Judicial Services, and Michel Hunault, Director of the Information and Control of Financial Circuits Service (SICCFIN), a Monegasque delegation visited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 16th December to participate in working meetings with their counterparts from the Ministry of Justice, the Financial Intelligence Unit (CRF) and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), with the participation of Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Monaco’s Ambassador in Luxembourg.
During the trip they were greeted by Sam Tanson, Minister of Justice and Culture, Claude Marx, Director of the CSSF, Max Braun, Director of the FIU and Martine Solovieff, State Attorney General. Discussions focused on issues that concern Luxembourg and Monegasque financial centres: the challenges of supervision, investigations and analyses of financial flows, and cooperation between the two countries in the light of developments in international financial crime.
The tracking of cryptocurrencies, blockchain and trading platforms were also the subject of discussions.
The members of the two delegations referred to the evaluations of their anti-money laundering and terrorist financing policies by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and by the MONEYVAL committee of the Council of Europe which will take place in 2021.
“The discussions were very concrete and the exchange of experiences and organisation should lead, in the coming months, to the signing in the Principality of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in matters of supervision between the SICCFIN and the CSSFs” said the government in a statement on Monday.
The Luxembourg FIU and the CSSF will participate in the Forum of the Circle of Francophone FIUs which will take place in Monaco in November 2021, which will be chaired by Director of SICCFIN Michel Hunault.
In this month’s exclusive interview for Monaco Life, Princess Grace Foundation-USA’s CEO Brisa Trinchero catches up with one of America’s most acclaimed costume designers, Paul Tazewell, about the intricacies of theatre design, his favourite Grace Kelly looks, and what’s to come in the future.
Paul Tazewell is a highly acclaimed costume designer for film, theatre, and dance. Notable masterpieces include Hamilton (Tony Award for Best Costume Design), The Wiz: Live! (Emmy Award) and costumes for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story film. Paul received his Princess Grace Award in 1993, and in 2004 Paul received the Foundation’s highest honour, the Princess Grace Statue Award.
Earlier this month the Foundation partnered with Paul to create four exclusive designs of limited-edition, hand-sewn face masks inspired by Grace Kelly’s iconic fashion looks for the holiday season to support the Foundation and the creative communities that have been impacted by Covid-19.
What made you become a costume designer?
I grew up in an artist-filled family, and when I entered grade school I was transfixed by the performances at the school. There was a production of Oklahoma that I remember seeing at the neighbourhood high school and, when I began high school, I started performing in those productions as well as learning how to sew and design the costumes. One thing led to another and I entered Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to study fashion, but my main intention was to be in New York to start to educate myself around performance.
I decided to transfer to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and by the end of my first year, I decided to let go of my dream to be a performer and take hold of the dream of being a costume designer. Much of it was about longevity, and some of it had to do with avoiding being typecast and being able to embrace many different types of characters. My interest from the performance end has infused itself into how I approach costume design. I use my experience and ability in interpreting character development and understanding movement as I interpret fabric and how it will move in space and live on a person’s body.
Paul Tazewell’s costumes for the Schulyer sisters in Hamilton, credit Sayaka Matuoka
You won your Princess Grace Award long before your many accolades. Can you tell us where you were in your life at that point and what the Princess Grace Award meant for you?
I was introduced to the Princess Grace Foundation through Arena Stage in Washington. I had just graduated from NYU with my graduate degree in costume and set design. They asked me to come and be a part of their staff for a year. When I entered, they suggested that we approach the Princess Grace Foundation to pay for part of my salary. That experience overall allowed me to hone my skills and mature as a costume designer outside of New York; I was not under the gaze of everyone watching but there was still some visibility.
While I was there, George C. Wolfe saw a production that I had designed and he invited me to New York, where he was a director working on the new Broadway musical, Bring in’ da Noise, Bring in’ da Funk. It was a fantastic show created with Savion Glover and I was invited to design the costumes for his production which was my first Broadway show. I was then nominated for a Tony award for that production. So that was quite a wonderful experience for me.
And that was just the start of your relationship with the Princess Grace Awards…
I continued to stay in contact with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and later received the Statue Award. It came at a very opportune time; I was just leaving an institution and going into being a freelance designer in New York, which is really hand-to-mouth as an artist. I felt so supported by the Foundation.
Tazewell’s work in West Side Story
What is your process when you start a new design role?
My process started at North Carolina School of the Arts, where I received a strong foundation on how to approach the text, how to imagine what a world might be developing, what conversation looks like with the director, and the skills to be able to generate those images on paper so that I can hand it over to someone else to build as costumes. Once I understand what the text is, I start to do research and pull images from all over, then whatever music goes along with it and the screenplay. Let’s say I might also go towards something that is emotionally driven. That’s something that speaks to me as I think about how the story might be told, that might be disconnected from the actual period and structure of the text. If it’s a ballet, it’s talking to the choreographer and understanding what the story is that is being told from their point of view.
I see the director as an editor of my images and of my ideas, and the leader that conveys the story because it’s their vision and they need to carry all of the designers and all of the actors through the process of delivering up a story, whether it’s musical or play or ballet. After picking through and establishing what our world will be with the director – with the inputs of the set designer, the lighting designer, and the sound designer – I start drawing.
I make specific choices for specific characters that move through time. Once those elements become two dimensional images, I’ll back it with period or contemporary research and how to realise this idea. I then choose independent costume shops around New York City with amazing tailors and amazing dressmaker’s that do custom beading and embroidery, that will be appropriate for the type of costumes I’ve designed.
Can you explain the difference between designing for Broadway versus film?
For Broadway, the costume has to withstand the wear and tear of eight shows a week. So, it’s less about the fabric that’s chosen and much more about how the interior is built so that it holds up. With Hamilton, we have an amazing wardrobe staff and team, dressers and maintenance people that take care of those clothes and make sure that they all look great every time that the show is performed.
With film, most of the time you’re looking for naturalism. If you look at some of the dresses from the 1930s, many of them were made by the people that were wearing them in real-time; they were made in a person’s home or if they were purchased, they have an interior that we don’t even get in clothing today. There’s a sense today that clothing is more disposable. In previous periods, the clothing was built very well and that was the case for the 30s. Some suits were built beautifully. The menswear is always gorgeous. The fabric might be moth-eaten, but the structure of the garment will still be present.
So, you’re trying to recreate that within the film where with theatre you need to balance both. You need to be able to make something that looks like it has very little support but something that will withstand all the shows.
Do you have a favourite costume from all of your shows and films?
The Schuyler Sisters’ ball dresses for the song ‘Helpless’.
Where can we see your work next?
West Side Story was slated to open in theatres in December [it’s since been delayed]. I know that Harriet is now being picked up by HBO, so people will be able to see that as well in their homes. I’m very proud of all the work that’s in that as well. I am working on the upcoming production of MJ, which is the Michael Jackson story, and it’s a Broadway musical. While I’m resetting the production of Hamilton in Australia, I will also be working on MJ in New York.
Tazewell’s exclusive Grace Kelly-inspired face masks
Speaking of incredible costumes, Grace Kelly had many iconic looks. From your perspective as a costume designer, do you have any favourite Grace Kelly looks?
I reference Grace Kelly’s iconic images from her incredible career whenever I research costumes from the 50s and 60s. My favourites are probably the clothes that Edith Head designed for Rear Window and ToCatch a Thief. One of my favourite looks is from Rear Window – she wears this traveling suit with a halter blouse and wide belt. It’s so classically 1950s and creates this image of a professional woman in New York, and she wears it amazingly well. She also comes in with the Mark Cross bag which is an icon in itself.
Thank you, Paul. Your incredible work truly is a tribute to Princess Grace’s legacy, and we are so honoured to have you as part of the Princess Grace Foundation family.Do you have any final words for the Monaco community?
I am always and forever honoured to be connected to the Foundation and in that, distantly connected to Monaco. I have visited there a couple of times and I’m eager to get back once we can all travel freely. I always feel wonderfully embraced by the Foundation’s work and support of young artists which is so very necessary at this time. To support the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and receive a Paul Tazewell designed mask please visit: https://pgfusa.org/masks/
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2020 Golden Foot Award in a ceremony that took place uniquely in Italy on Sunday, joining the likes of Pele, Maradona and Zidane and earning his place on the Promenade des Champions in Monaco.
Cristiano Ronaldo can add Best Player of the Year to his five Ballon d’Or awards. He was chosen by popular vote cast via the Golden Foot Awards internet site and received his prize on Sunday, 20th December with the Golden Foot’s founder Antonio Caliendo and Louis Ducruet, representing Prince Albert II, in attendance.
The Portuguese striker was then asked to take a cast of his foot to be added to the new Legends of Football walk on the Promenade des Champions in Monaco, which will replace the current one that is not reachable due to the land extension works.
“It’s something that I was hoping to win one day,” said Ronaldo. “Just look at the history of this prize. The legends who received it are very important, so I am happy to receive it at my turn. This is the first in my museum, I’m so happy!”
Ronaldo also took to social media to publicly share his delight. On Twitter, he said, “I am honoured to win the @goldenfootofficial and to be immortalised on the Champion Promenade in Monaco, together with some of the greatest football legends of all time! I am truly humbled and want to thank the fans all over the world for having voted for me.”
Prince Albert II sent his congratulations by video message, saying, “It will be an honour for the Principality of Monaco to have the footprints of a champion such as Cristiano Ronaldo and the president of the Juventus Football Club, Andrea Agnelli.”
The new site for the Promenade des Champions, as well as how it will look, will be revealed in the coming months.
The Golden Foot award is an international award given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality. The award is only given to active players of at least 28 years of age, and can only be won once.
Since 2009, the awards have been accompanied by a charity auction during a gala evening at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, and raises funds to help fight AIDS. However, the gala did not go ahead this year and the award was presented in Italy because of the current health situation.
Fans can watch the digital awards ceremony by contacting organisers here: https://goldenfoot2020.discoveryvp.com
