11 ° C
Profile

Month: June 2023

Renoir and other Impressionist masters at Moretti Gallery

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/06/2023
renoir moretti gallery

Moretti Gallery is pulling out all the stops for Monaco Art Week and artmonte-carlo, with exhibitions featuring works by Impressionist greats such as Renoir and Millet as well as a focus on 20th century art movements.  

Ward Moretti, in collaboration with the Moretti Gallery, is bringing two amazing exhibitions to the Principality next month: one for Monaco Art Week and the second for artmonte-carlo, which runs in parallel.  

IMPRESSIONISM’S FINEST 

The first of the shows is entitled Impressionism: Painting from Nature and will run from 4th to 21st July. This exciting exhibition will bring together some of the genre’s great talents, including a charming masterpiece by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jeune Fille lisante from 1890 (pictured above), which shows a girl completely absorbed by her book as the world goes by. The innocence of the piece is touching, and the beauty of his image captivating.  

Other highlights include two landscapes by Renoir and countryside scenes by Jean-François Millet, as well as pieces from notable American painter Childe Hassam. Post-Impressionism is represented by Édouard Vuillard’s Madame Vuillard cousant from 1895 and Pierre Bonnard’s 1892 still life.  

FOCUS ON 20th CENTURY 

The concurrent event, taking place during artmonte-carlo from 7th to 9th July, is a tribute to the 20th century’s biggest artistic movements. Cubism, Surrealism and Neoplasticism reign in this spectacular show, which features the likes of Strahlung aus Blau from Max Bill, Victor Brauner’s 1959 work La Bretonne, and works by Jean Gorin, Martin Blaszko, Mary Martin and others. 

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

 

Photo courtesy of Moretti Fine Art Gallery

Superstar Robbie Williams to play at the Red Cross Gala  

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/06/2023
robbie williams red cross gala

British popstar Robbie Williams is headlining this year’s Red Cross Gala, one of the biggest events on the Monaco social calendar.  

For 74 years, this summertime charity soirée has attracted the great and the good of the Principality as well as top drawer talent. 

Some of the biggest names in music have been part of the Gala, including Joséphine Baker, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Sir Elton John, Duran Duran, Sting, The Scorpions, Lionel Richie, John Legend… And now it’s Robbie Williams’ time to shine at a sold-out concert event at the emblematic Salle des Etoiles.  

AN ICON IN MONACO 

Pop icon and former Take That singer-songwriter Williams is set to take the stage on 29th July in a set that will not only feature songs from his recent album XXV, but also mark 25 stellar years as a solo artist.  

The album is comprised of many fan favourites that have been re-recorded with Dutch jazz and pop orchestra Metropole Orkest, the biggest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world.  

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE EVENT 

In addition to a rocking good time on the entertainment front, the night will run a tombola offering up some pretty spectacular luxury prizes, such as jewellery and art, and which constitutes a major feature of the fund-raising drive the Gala gets its name from.  

This is a truly prestigious event that has for decades brought together the Princely Grimaldi family with personalities from the Principality and beyond. Prince Albert II will certainly be in attendance as the official opener of the ball, leading guests onto the dancefloor come midnight.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

 

Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

France will persuade tourists to discover new areas to relieve travel hotspots

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/06/2023
france tourists

The French government is proposing a new scheme to encourage tourists away from conventional hot spots and onto lesser-known destinations in an effort to preserve and protect the environment. 

According to a government report, 80% of France’s tourism activity is concentrated in 20% of the country, with the French Riviera being one of the most heavily impacted areas. This is saying something in a country that boasts more visitors than any other in the world.  

Though the economic benefits of being a touristic hot spot are great, there are many consequences that come along with them that are less-than-desirable.  

PROBLEMS ARISE 

One of the more dramatic problems that heavily touristic places encounter is that real estate prices get driven up by an influx of people who are willing to pay more to get a piece of the magic, leading to the locals resenting and rejecting tourists.  

Also, the most popular destinations at peak season are often so overrun that they simply become unpleasant for locals as well as guests. 

Then there is the matter of the environmental impact, with services being over-burdened, air quality suffering, natural spaces being cleared to make way for more accommodation, clogged motorways, and threats to biodiversity in general.  

SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS  

To counteract the bad without putting off tourists, the government has devised a plan. Minister for Tourism Olivia Grégoire and the network of Grands Sites de France are co-managing a working group dedicated to the observation of tourist flows in the first half of 2023.  

“The ambition of the plan, in the long term, is to discover lesser-known sites of French cultural heritage and to encourage tourists to discover [these] equally interesting places,” says a government spokesperson.   

To achieve the goals, a four-axis strategy that includes learning more about tourist flow management, raising awareness, measuring impacts and offering support to the regions to help with organisation will be implemented.  

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

 

Photo source: Oscar Nord for Unsplash

From a Princely hobby horse to a renowned international setting: A brief history of equestrianism in Monaco

by: Luke Entwistle
21/06/2023
Jumping International Monte-Carlo

What was merely a Grimaldi family hobby has blossomed into a thriving equestrian scene in Monaco, culminating in the establishment of the Jumping Monte-Carlo tournament. 

Equestrian has come a long way in Monaco in a relatively short period of time. The prestigious Jumping International de Monte-Carlo, part of the Longines Global Champions Tour, has only been around since 2006, and will this month celebrate its 18th edition.

The history of equestrian within the Principality as a whole isn’t quite so recent, nor is it so ancient. Princes Caroline of Monaco took an interest in horse riding, an interest inherited by her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi.

Whilst the sport was an interest within the Princely family, it was only in 1995 that the Monaco Equestrian Federation was created. Madame Diane Fissore was, and continues to be, a key proponents within the Principality’s equestrain scene, and her work, alongside that of secretary general Eric Wauters, led to the creation of the institution.

The Princely family – organisers and participants

Fissore was once again instrumental in yet another momentous occasion in the history of equestrianism in Monaco. The President of the Monaco Equestrian Federation collaborated with Olympic gold medalist rider Jan Tops to bring the Longines Global Champions Tour to Monaco, a dream which became a reality back in 2006.

Princess Caroline would become an honorary president of the event, a title inherited by Charlotte Casiraghi since 2010. Whilst Casiraghi has, and continues to be, a key figure in the running of the Jumping International de Monte-Carlo, she has also been a competitor, and a winner.

Photo source: LGCT

Whilst Casiraghi hasn’t raced since 2017, she raced 219 times on the Global Champions Tour, winning twice in that time, with both victories coming in a successful 2014 season.

As well as winning gold in Paris, she also took the top step of the podium at home, in Monaco, in the Pro/Am race. Winning on the sand of Monaco is no easy task. Of the 17 editions that have so far taken place in Monaco, there has only been one repeat winner. American rider Richard Spooner has won the tournament on three occasions (2008, 2009, 2013), each time riding Cristallo.

Richard Spooner reigns over Port Hercules

Whilst there has been a diffident winner in (almost) each edition, last year, for the first time, there was a repeat podium with Max Kühner, Kenny Darragh and Olivier Philppaerts all finishing on the podium in 2021 and 2022. The latter has finished third both times, whilst the former two have traded wins.

“Over these past 16 years, our common passion for horses and show jumping has never waned. Sixteen years which have seen the Jumping International de Monte Carlo grow and perpetuate, while reinventing itself on the occasion of each edition,” said Casiraghi upon the conclusion of the 2022 edition.

Horse riding remains, relatively speaking, one of the more novel sports in the Principality, but through the creation of the federation, it is one that has grown considerably. The hosting of the Jumping International de Monte-Carlo from 29th June- 1st July, an iconic venue on the Global Champions Tour, is a symbol of the prosperousness of equestrianism within the Principality.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo source: LGCT

Prince Rainier film screening sells out, Grimaldi Forum adds second date

by: Elsa Carpenter
21/06/2023

After a screening of Prince Rainier III par lui-même on 4th July all but sold out, the Grimaldi Forum has given fans a second opportunity to experience the highly personal documentary the following evening, with English subtitles. 

Barely a handful of tickets remain for the initial showing on 4th July at 7pm within the Grimaldi Forum’s Salle des Princes, but interest remains high. This has led the exhibition centre to add a further showing of Yann-Antony Noghès’ documentary piece on 5th July, also at 7pm. Both are entirely free to attend, but prior reservations are required.  

The 52-minute movie, which pulls on decades of sound recordings by Prince Rainier III himself and is supplemented by narration from Fanny Ardant, recounts some of the biggest moments of his epic reign. From a solitary childhood and the complicated situation the late Prince found himself in when he inherited the throne in 1949 to his encounters with General de Gaulle and Aristotle Onassis, it traces a fascinating life that was driven by a desire to gain respect for his nation and to drive it into the future.  

The documentary was created by Check Productions, assisted by historians Thomas Fouilleron and Vincent Vatrican, and with the support of the Comité de Commemoration Rainier III, which is laying on countless events in memory of Monaco’s former leader and the father of Prince Albert II. 

The second screening on 5th July will have subtitles in English. For more information and to book a seat, please click here.  

 

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: Grimaldi Forum

Photos: Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra takes New York by storm

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/06/2023

Prince Albert II headed to New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Monaco’s admission to the UN in a visit that was highlighted with spell-binding performances by the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra at the UN’s Headquarters and the city’s iconic Times Square.  

Since 1966, the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra, created by the music-loving Prince Rainier III, has been entertaining crowds at home in the Principality and around the world. 

Their latest concerts took place in New York City, where Prince Albert II and Princess Stephanie, the Orchestra’s patron, were on hand to mark the 30th anniversary of the Principality’s entry into the United Nations (UN) and continue the array of events organised to celebrate the centenary of the birth of their father, Prince Rainier III.

Prince's Carabinieri Orchestra
The Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra performing at the United Nations meeting in New York on 19th June. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger

The first concert took place on 19th June in the reception hall of the UN’s General Assembly. Organised by the Permanent Mission of Monaco to the UN, Major Olivier Dréan led the performance with an “eclectic score” that featured modern and traditional elements, including a rendition of the Monegasque National Anthem.  

After the concert, a 500-person reception was held at the UN Headquarters in the presence of Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie along with Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Government Counsellor-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Monaco. There was also a photographic exhibit that spotlighted Monaco’s involvement in UN matters.  

The Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra performing in Times Square New York. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger

Then, on 20th June, the Orchestra performed a second time to a much larger audience.

Joined by the New York City Police Band, the two musical entities played in Times Square, one of the most visited addresses on the planet, to the delight of passers-by.  

See more in the video below…

 

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

 

SEE ALSO:

Prince Albert on historic High Seas Treaty: “With this agreement, we are breaking the status quo”

 

Feature photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger, Palais Princier de Monaco