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Day: 6 June 2023

Photos: Prince Albert II visits family château in the Haute-Loire

by: Elsa Carpenter
06/06/2023

While on a tour of the Haute-Loire in central-southern France, Prince Albert II paid a visit to the Château de Lavoûte-Polignac, a charming estate that remains in the family and belongs to his cousin, the Duke Armand-Charles de Polignac. 

Last week, Prince Albert spent two sunny days visiting a number of Haute-Loire locations that have historical connections to the Principality of Monaco. Amongst them was the town of Lavoûte-sur-Loire, where he met with Mayor Jean-Paul Beaumel and the department’s Prefect Eric Etienne on the morning of Thursday 1st June.  

Later came a visit to the Château de Lavoûte-Polignac, which is owned by the Prince’s cousin, the Duke Armand-Charles de Polignac. Between 1915 and 1917, Prince Albert’s grandmother, the Princess Charlotte (1898-1977), spent many happy times at the picturesque property and it was here that she met her future husband, the Count Pierre de Polignac.  

Prince Albert unveiled a plaque commemorating his 21st century visit in the town’s main square before heading off to the nearby village of Polignac, which is closely tied to the history of the Polignac family. Mayor Jean-Paul Vigouroux was on hand to receive Monaco’s Prince as well as Princes Alain and Ludovic de Polignac for a tour of the village’s fortress. Prince Albert was given honorary citizenship of Polignac at a ceremony later that day. 

The second day of the visit saw Prince Albert head to the Prefecture of the Haute-Loire in Puy-en-Velay for a private tour led by the town’s mayor, Michel Chapuis, and the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez.  

Prince Albert’s two day affair concluded with the unveiling of another commemorative plaque in the village of Saint-Pal-de-Chalencon in the presence of its mayor, Pierre Brun, and locals who turned out to see the Prince.  

Click on the images below to see more:

 

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Photo credits: Michael Alesi for the Palais Princier de Monaco 

What’s on in Monaco this June?

by: Elsa Carpenter
06/06/2023

It really is festival season here in the Principality, with everything from a red carpet TV event to a street art celebration and the brand-new thought-provoking Green Shift Festival lined up for the coming month. 

Monaco loves a bit of urban street art. Artist Mr One Teas, who will be attending this year’s UPAINT Festival alongside many other international artists from across the genre, is a firm favourite on the Principality’s scene and will be showcasing his talents once again between 4th and 7th June. There will also be plenty of public events down on the Promenade du Larvotto, so grab a can and get involved. Click here for more information. 

upaint
Prince Albert II adding his mark to the previous UPAINT Festival in 2022

Tweens and teens from 12 to 17 years of age can get into the holiday spirit a little earlier than usual this summer with the annual Splash Party at the Stade Nautique Rainier III from 2pm to 6pm on 7th June. Tickets are €20 for Monaco school-going residents and €25 for non-residents attending with a local friend. Drinks and full access to the pool, diving board and inflatables is included. 

Brand-new in Monaco for 2023 is the Green Shift Festival, which is set to take place over four consecutive nights from 7th to 10th June. Each evening, between 7pm and 8.30pm and out in the fresh sea air on the Promenade du Larvotto, important green and environmental topics that range from the philosophical to the generational will be presented through short films, performances and open discussions in the presence of experts. Find the full programme here.

With the adrenaline of the Monaco Grand Prix still fresh in memory, Top Marques will be reviving the Principality’s love of all things “moto” and innovation from 7th to 11th June at the Grimaldi Forum. Expect numerous world premieres, a collection of rare and classic cars, the launch of a lunar rover, hydrogen-powered road vehicles, a 100% electric submersible and much more. Click here for more information. 

 

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Monaco will host a number of its former “fiefdoms” on 10th and 11th June for the fourth edition of the Rencontres Grimaldi, an occasion that brings people together in a cross-commune celebration of historical and cultural links with the Principality and its dynastic Grimaldi family. The event is open to the public as well as its guests of honour. Click here for the more information.    

The 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival will take place from 16th to 20th June. This well-established event, which was an early champion of the now irrefutably successful media, always attracts top stars and decision-makers in the TV industry so expect to see plenty of celebs out on the streets of the Principality during the festival. Read a history of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival here and discover its business-focused side events here.  

A long-time favourite date in the calendar, the Fête de la Musique is held each year on the Summer Solstice. Music is the focus here, with everything from jazz to rock and classic to folk to be expected from the troupes who will line the streets of almost every post code of France and Monaco. Monaco Life is putting together a guide to this year’s Fête de la Musique in the Principality, so watch this space! 

Saddle up and grab your best Longines for this year’s Jumping International de Monte-Carlo. Between 29th June and 1st July, the best show jumpers in the world will descend on the Port Hercules for a series of competitions and events, including a special charity-focused night that will mark the 60th anniversary of the Association Mondiale des Amis de l’Enfance, AMADE, a cause close to the hearts of the equestrian-loving Grimaldi family. 

For more Monaco events, click here to see the complete calendar.  

 

Photo source: Longines Global Champions Tour

Formula E: First win of the season for MSG in Jakarta

by: Luke Entwistle
06/06/2023
Maserati MSG Racing celebate victory in Jakarta

Max Günther took the chequered flag in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday to secure Maserati MSG Racing’s first win of the season and Maserati’s first single-seater victory since 1957.

Whilst MSG haven’t hit the heights of last season, the steady improvements in performance are now reaping tangible rewards. As it has been throughout the season, it is Günther who is leading this team, despite the fact that last season it was Edoardo Mortara that was in the title race.

The omens were positive on Saturday, with Günther securing his first-ever Formula E pole position in qualifying. Whilst the German couldn’t hold the position during the race, he nonetheless took third place, whilst Mortara finished six.

However, it was during the second race of the weekend that history was made. Maserati haven’t won a single-seater race since Juan Manuel Fangio took the chequered flag at the German Grand Prix in 1957, but that changed on Sunday.

“Days like today show why you should never give up”

Once again, Günther was on pole, but this time he converted it into a race victory. Mortara added to a successful weekend for the Monegasque manufacturer, finishing eighth. The points accrued in the Indonesian capital allow MSG to rise to sixth in the constructors’ standings, overtaking McLaren and Nissan.

Günther is seventh in the drivers’ standings and has earned 70 of MSG’s 87 points this season.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with this victory. It is a fantastic moment for us as a team and a great milestone for Maserati,” said Günther.

“Today completes an incredible weekend, and our strongest performance as a team, being top in every session apart from Race One. We’ve been through many highs and lows this season, and seeing everyone pull together in the difficult times has made this victory so much sweeter. Days like today show why you should never give up,” said Team Principal James Rossiter.

MSG will be looking to carry their form into the inaugural Portland ePrix, which will take place on 24th June .

 

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Photo source: Maserati MSG Racing

Classical to contemporary: a summer of music, art and theatre

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/06/2023

A night honouring the life of Prince Rainier III, the first ever performances of music written by a female composer from Monaco and spell-binding Gregorian chants are just some of the cultural treats that await this summer. 

The International Organ Festival will be comprised of five concerts taking place between 25th June and 16th July. The opening concert has special meaning this year, forming part of the Prince Rainier III centenary celebrations, and will feature Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem by the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, who are coming to the Principality for the first time ever to perform, amongst other talents. Each piece on the programme was commissioned or composed to mark highlights in the life of Prince Rainier III. The concert starts at 6pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception up on the Rock.  

On 2nd July, Les Femmes Invisibles will highlight musical compositions by women, including a premiere presentation of works by the Monegasque composer Marie-Vera Maixandeau (1929-2018). The concert will be performed by Joy-Leilani Garbuttand at the Cathedral at 6pm.  

Another highlight will be the performance by Shin-Young Lee, a talented South Korean organist, on 9th July. Echoing the F(ê)aites de la Danse, which will be taking place on the same weekend and has been organised by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, two dances that were very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries will be presented alongside Lee’s musical offering. The concert begins at 6pm at the Cathedral. 

On 16th July, Gabriel Marghieri on organ and singer Jeanne Bernier will perform a programme entitled Ave Maris Stella that will revive the rich Catholic liturgical tradition known as Gregorian chants. Expect pieces from the 16th century through to the present day. The concert begins at 6pm at the Cathedral.  

The Théâtre du Fort Antoine will also be the setting for many a fabulous evening of music, theatre and culture between 4th July and 1st August. 

One such event is Le Grand Voyage, a musical spectacle retracing the history of the organ in a “playful, poetic, educational and interactive way”. Les Colporteurs, a duo made up of Vincent Dubus and Baptiste Genniaux, will lead the tale. This event takes place on 6th July at 9.30pm.  

Other unmissable occasions include: Argentinian comedian Luciano Rosso’s Apocalipsync on 4th July; La Bombe Humaine on 11th July; Dans le Cerveau de Maurice Ravel on 21st July; and a poetic and tender performance entitled Le Beau Monde by Arthur Amard, Rémi Fortin, Simon Gauchet and Blanche Ripoche on the final night. For the complete programme, please click here.  

Also set to launch during this fantastic summer of events is the Rainier III, the Builder Prince: An Ambition for Monaco exhibition, which will run from 20th July to 31st December within the Quai Antoine 1er exhibition hall.  

“Curated by Stéphane Bern, journalist and columnist, and Christian Curau, architect and curator of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, the exhibition will showcase how Prince Rainier III was a man of both historical continuity and innovation,” says a spokesperson for the Department of Cultural Affairs. “The Prince’s approach to town planning was revolutionary; his sole motivation was to guarantee the prosperity and well-being of the people of Monaco, to whom he was equally bonded by affection as much as a constitutional oath.” 

It joins a plethora of other fascinating exhibitions on Prince Rainier that have been organised for his centenary year celebrations.  

Read more:

Le Prince Chez Lui exhibition: Prince Rainier III at home

Exhibition: The story behind Prince Rainier’s “Noah’s Ark”

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Festival International d’Orgue de Monaco / Facebook

Recipients of Monte-Carlo Television Festival Special Prizes announced

by: Cassandra Tanti
06/06/2023

A documentary film highlighting stolen Ukrainian children and a film showing how Christians, Jews, and Muslims can live together harmoniously in conflict-torn Israel are both winners of this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival Special Prizes.

Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, made the announcement on Monday 6th June. The Special Prizes are awarded each year in collaboration with the AMADE and the Monaco Red Cross.

The AMADE Prize will be awarded to the technical film ‘Russia, the stolen children of Ukraine’ (Russie, Les Enfants Volés d’Ukraine), a documentary by Philomène Remy, Quentin Baulier, and Simon Terrassier with Sofia Kochmar Tymoshenko and Alexandra Dalsbaek – produced and broadcast by BFMTV.

The documentary reveals how Ukrainian children are being deported to Siberia and adopted by Russian families. More than 16,000 children are reported to have been separated from their parents or abducted from orphanages since the beginning of the conflict. The authorities in Kiev report mass kidnappings aimed at Russifying the younger generation. From Kharkiv to Kherson in Ukraine, the “Ligne Rouge” teams investigated and collected the testimonies of these families whose children have been sent to enemy territory.

A scene from Oasis of Peace

A story of hope, unity and resilience

The Special Prize of the Monaco Red Cross will go to the documentary film ‘Oasis of Peace’, produced by StoryCircus and Premières Lignes, written and directed by Henry Poulain. The documentary uncovers a remarkable story of hope, unity, and resilience, nestled just 18 miles away from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In the heart of a region marred by conflict, Neve Shalom – Wahat as Salam, is a unique village that is home to Christians, Jews, and Muslims who are determined to live together in peace and mutual understanding. To watch the trailer, click here.

Awards gala on 20th June

Judged by international experts, the winners of the Special Prizes are selected from across the globe as part of the Festival’s Golden Nymph Awards. The laureates will be presented with their awards on the final evening of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival at the Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony, on Tuesday 20th June at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, in the presence of Princess Charlene.

 

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Featured image taken from Russie, Les Enfants Volés d’Ukraine

 

 

Celebrate World Ocean Day on 8th June 

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/06/2023
world ocean day

Your guide to World Ocean Day events taking place in Nice and elsewhere on the French Riviera. 

World Oceans Day is coming up. This United Nations-inspired event is an inclusive way for people all over the world to celebrate the importance of the seas and the oceans as well as to get a better understanding of how we can work together in a sustainable way to protect our precious waterways.  

Beach clean-ups, conferences and quiz nights

In Nice, the Océan 21 project and the Bibliotheque Raoul Mille have organised an “awareness village” down on the Quai des Etats-Unis, which will be active until 13th June. It is open every day from 9am to 6pm and features local associations such as RAMOGE and the Pelagos Sanctuary, who are on hand to discuss their projects and missions. A daily “plogging” session is also being run from the same spot, encouraging passerbys to pick up litter whilst getting in a bit of exercise.  

On Thursday 8th June itself, a recital by the Ensemble de Cuivres du Conservatoire will be taking place at 2.30pm at the library, followed by a 4pm conference entitled “The Ocean: The Climatic Deregulation and the Response of the Living” by the former director of the Institut de la Mer in Villefranche-sur-Mer. At 6pm, a conference on the monk seal by Aurore Asso, an author and documentary filmmaker, will round off the day’s activities.  

A number of other conferences and events are taking place in Nice under the banner of the Océan 21 initiative. Please click here for the full programme.  

Elsewhere in the city, The Animal Fund will be running a beach clean-up from 8am to 12pm with local schools as well as a quiz night from 6.30pm to 10.30pm at 18 Chemin de Saquier in Nice.  

Over near Saint Tropez, a beach clean-up day will be held on 11th June, focusing on the seven towns around the Golfe de Saint-Tropez and covering a 42-kilometre area. It’s an all-day event from 8am to 4pm, and people are invited to come and join for however long they’d like.  

United Nations Live 

The UN will be hosting a hybrid celebration that will be broadcast live from its headquarters in New York City, shedding light on how we can work together to protect the well-being of the oceans and thus ensure our own well-being for the future as well. This event takes place from 10am to 1.30pm EDT.  

The organisation is also hosting a photo competition, the winners of which will be announced on 8th June by a jury of world-renowned creatives and photographers.  

Most importantly, the day is a reminder for individuals to look after the oceans with the care and attention they deserve, and for the public to do what they can to prevent the further deterioration of the oceans’ condition through sustainable management and awareness.

  

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Constantin for Unsplash