September 2024 - Page 15 of 29

Mairie de Monaco invites locals on a day-long hike from Dolceacqua

16/09/2024

The celebrations of Monaco and Dolceacqua’s twinning will continue later this month with a new walking event that will take locals on a scenic hike through the historic Italian villages that surround the pretty Ligurian town. Here are all the details.

Following on from a trek from Monaco to Dolceacqua in April, a second walking event through the region around the town is being organised by the Mairie de Monaco for Saturday 21st September. The excursion will feature a day-long hike through several Italian villages, including Apricale and Perinaldo.

Participants are asked to gather at 8am in Dolceacqua’s Piazza Mauro, with options for carpooling from Monaco.

After light refreshments and a briefing on the route, the group will then set off for Perinaldo at 8.45am, which is around two hours from Dolceacqua. Upon arrival, participants will visit the local castle before continuing on to Apricale at 11.45am. The trek to Apricale is expected to take approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

In Apricale, participants will have the opportunity to tour the village and enjoy a lunch from 1pm. Following this, the group will set out for Isolabona, which lies around an hour away on foot, at 2.30pm. The visit to Isolabona will include a tour of the castle, concluding at 3.45pm. The event will wrap up with a return to Dolceacqua for 5pm.

See more: Walk from Dolceacqua to Monaco to celebrate the twinning of the localities

The public is invited to join the hike by registering via email at communication@mairie.mc. As the walk coincides with World Clean-Up Day, participants will be encouraged to collect any litter they come across along the trails.

Read related:

World Clean-Up Day: Join the Mairie de Monaco at its annual litter pick

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Photo source: Pixabay

Photos: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco named godparents of new Île Saint-Honorat bell

by: Stephanie Horsman

16/09/2024

Over the weekend, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were invited to Île Saint-Honorat, an island that lies to the south of Cannes, to attend the blessing of the two new bells that are to be installed in the Saint-Croix Chapel. The Princely couple are to be godparents to the Marie Augustin bell, named in tribute to Augustin Grimaldi (1482-1532), who became the ruler of the Principality in the years after his role as the Abbot of Lérins.

On Saturday 14th September, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene travelled out to the picturesque Île Saint-Honorat, which is located in the Bay of Cannes. The island has been home to a monastic community for 1,600 years, making it one of the most significant early Christian sites in the region.

The Princely couple had been invited to the isle for a very special reason: they are to be the godparents of one of the two new bells that will be raised in the Saint-Croix Chapel of the island’s fortified monastery, which is nearing the end of a careful restoration project that has been years in the making. The landmark is set to reopen to the public in summer 2025.

Their day on Île Saint-Honorat began with an early morning welcome from Father Abbot Vladimir Gaudrat, who greeted the royal couple upon their arrival. The Prince and Princess then toured the chapel and the fortified monastery before attending a mass at the abbey that culminated in the blessing of the bells, which were ceremoniously displayed in the church forecourt.

The ceremony held personal significance for the Princely couple, as they will now serve as the godparents of the larger bell, which has been named Marie Augustin in honour of Augustin Grimaldi, a key figure in Monaco’s history.

*The Marie Augustin bell. Photo credit: Palais Princier de Monaco / Eric Mathon*

Augustin was appointed Abbot of Lérins in 1500 and later became the Lord Ruler of Monaco in 1523, a position he held until his death in 1532. He also served as Bishop of Grasse from 1505 until his final days. In Monaco, Augustin is remembered for his notable role in shaping the nation’s future; he forged a strategic alliance with Emperor Charles V that secured the Principality’s sovereignty 500 years ago.

To see more photographs of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s visit to Île Saint-Honorat, click on the images below:

Photo credits: Palais Princier de Monaco / Eric Mathon

Monaco Government frustrated by SNCF decision to proceed with nighttime train cancellations

by: Stephanie Horsman

16/09/2024

The Monaco Government’s efforts to find a solution to the next nine months of cancelled evening and early morning train connections between the Principality and the rest of the Riviera have made little progress, with only meagre alternatives and a “few days” of compromise thus far proposed by the SNCF.

Following a series of emergency meetings held between the Monaco authorities and regional SNCF heads last week, the train operator has agreed to slightly delay the evening cancellations, but only temporarily. Instead of a halt to services from 9pm on Sundays through Thursdays, the SNCF has announced that trains will cease to run from 10.45pm, meaning that just one connection will be scrapped.

However, the change will only last for a “few days”, and is not expected to not continue beyond the end of this week, when all trains between 9pm and 6am will be taken off the schedule for five days out of the week until the end of June 2025. Details about the cancellations can be found here.

The evening and early morning cancellations are a necessity, says the SNCF, if it is to complete essential maintenance works on the track between Nice and Ventimiglia in Italy. The specifics of the work focus on PMR (Persons with Reduced Mobility) accessibility at Villefranche-sur-Mer station, the catenaries between Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco, the St-Laurent tunnel near Èze and the Multimodal Exchange Hub at the Beaulieu-sur-Mer station.

The news has been met with strong opposition from local governments and passengers alike.

See more: Monaco Government shocked at SNCF rail disruptions, calling the last-minute announcement “unacceptable”

The Monaco Government requested a high-level meeting with SNCF bosses in an effort to find a workable solution to the shutdowns, which was held on 13th September in the presence of Céline Caron-Dagioni, Monaco’s Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Planning, and Jean-Pierre Serrus, Vice-President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region in charge of transport and sustainable mobility, as well as representatives from SNCF Voyageurs, SNCF Réseau and other regional and Monegasque authorities.

The Monaco Government is understood to have asked for a total postponement of the repairs, arguing that the current schedule does not meet passenger expectations, while also proposing that the work schedule should be reconsidered in the context of large sporting events and other major occasions.

SNCF’s representatives are said to have pushed back against these demands, offering instead a minor concession in the form of a delay to the start times of the works for a “few days”.

In a statement, the Monaco Government said, “SNCF Réseau has refused the request for postponement (work will start on 15th September), but nevertheless concedes a shift, for a few days, from 9pm to 10.45pm for the start of the daily work period. This shift only requires one substitution at 11.30pm… but it does not meet the broader expectations of the Principality.”

The unsatisfactory outcome for both Monegasque and regional authorities has led to a request for another meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Monaco on 16th September.

Read related:

Upgrades to local train lines to impact services between Nice and Ventimiglia for nine months

Photo source: Reuben Rohard, Unsplash

Groupe Michel Pastor renews its contract as a leading partner of AS Monaco Basket

by: Niki Borisova

16/09/2024

In the run-up to the launch of the 2024/25 basketball season, AS Monaco Basket and Groupe Michel Pastor have announced that the renewal of their partnership deal, which will see the real estate firm continue its status as a premium partner of the Roca Team for another year.

AS Monaco Basket has confirmed that Groupe Michel Pastor will continue as one of the leading partners of the Roca Team for another season.

Oleskiy Yefimov, General Manager of the Roca Team, commented, “We are proud to continue our journey with Groupe Michel Pastor. Both organisations are driven by a vision of excellence, not only in sports and business, but also for the broader Monegasque community. The continued involvement of such a prestigious partner highlights the growing significance of the club as a symbol of unity and national pride.”

AS Monaco Basket has experienced remarkable progress over the last decade, advancing from NM1 in 2014 to the EuroLeague by 2021, the pinnacle of European basketball. The club has also enjoyed a number of significant successes, including consecutive French Championship titles in 2023 and 2024 and a place in the EuroLeague Final Four in 2023.

See more: Monaco-based digital security app Pineappli becomes the Roca Team’s newest partner

Groupe Michel Pastor, a renowned name in the world of real estate development, renovations, leasing, management, sales and affiliated property services, has been a leading force in Monaco’s real estate sector for more than 50 years.

Jean-Baptiste Pastor, President of Groupe Michel Pastor, said of the contract renewal, “Partnering with the Roca Team is about supporting a team that embodies values we believe in: hard work, performance and unity… As a company, we are extremely proud to be involved in a project that enhances our community and reflects our professional convictions.”

Read related:

What’s it like to be a VIP member of AS Monaco basketball? A courtside experience inside look

Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

F1: Leclerc misses out in Baku after hard-fought battle with Piastri

by: Elsa Carpenter

16/09/2024

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc started the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in pole position, his fourth consecutive P1 on the Baku Circuit, but lost his grip on the lead after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri edged past the Monegasque on Lap 20.

It was a hot day of racing on the Baku City Circuit, with temperatures reaching 46°C on the track by the time the drivers assembled on the grid on Sunday 15th September.

Monegasque Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc began from P1, his fourth consecutive pole at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the 26th of his career, while his teammate, Carlos Sainz, sat behind him in P3.

But it was the driver in P2, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who Leclerc had his eye on from the start and then throughout the race.

26-year-old Leclerc maintained his position from the moment the lights went out until he headed into the pits on Lap 17 for his one and only pitstop of the race. Leclerc returned to the track ahead of Piastri, who had stopped a lap earlier, but it didn’t last.

The 23-year-old Australian made his move on Turn 1 of Lap 20, putting Leclerc on the back foot. What followed was a long duel between the two, but despite all his efforts to regain his position, the order was set.

Leclerc held on to his lead for the first stages of the race, but was overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on Lap 20. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

There was plenty of drama elsewhere on the track. Fellow Ferrari driver Sainz looked as though he was going to take P3 in the closing stages of the race after an attack on Leclerc backfired for Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez. Sainz took advantage of the mishap and moved beyond the Mexican for third place, but the two soon collided and crashed out of the race, leaving the final podium spot open to Mercedes’ George Russell.

The race ended under a Virtual Safety Car due to the collision between Pérez and Sainz, with Piastri making the most of the unusual last lap to well and truly pull ahead of Leclerc. The young driver sailed in under the chequered flag with a near 11-second lead over the Monegasque.

In a post-race interview with former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, Leclerc admitted that the race for first place may have been over from the moment of his Lap 17 pitstop.

“On the medium [tyres], we were very competitive and the car felt good,” he explained. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do any high-fuel running on my side in FP1 [or] FP2, and we went for a setup direction that maybe in the race was a bit more difficult to manage. Especially on the hard tyres. I was really struggling to just keep those rear tyres, and towards the end, I really thought that… I would put [the car] in the wall. It was very close.”

See more: F1’s Charles Leclerc and friends triumph at Marathon du Karting Jules Bianchi

Later, facing similar questions in the press conference, he added, “When Oscar overtook me, I was quite calm in the car. I just was focusing on my tyre management. After 10, 15 laps, I thought that everything was coming together and that maybe towards the end, we will be in a better place. But with the dirty air, I think for 20 [or] 25 laps towards the end, my tyres were completely gone. They were just too quick in the straights for me to attempt anything.”

He admitted that he wasn’t fully satisfied with his P2 finish in comments to the Ferrari press team at the end of the day, saying, “We underestimated the speed they had on the straights today, running a lower downforce package than us, which made them too fast to attempt to overtake them. Overall, it wasn’t the best day for our team, but we now head to Singapore and will come back stronger.”

Read related:

F1: Glory for Leclerc and the tifosi at Monza

Photo credit: Direction de la Communication / Juliette Rapaire

Photos: Prince Albert II brings Roumoules into the Grimaldi Historical Sites fold

by: Stephanie Horsman

15/09/2024

It has been 50 years since the Radio Monte-Carlo transmission centre was set up in Roumoules, and Prince Albert II recently travelled to the picturesque Alpes-de-Haute-Provence village to tour the facilities, meet the locals and welcome the municipality into the Grimaldi Historical Sites of Monaco network.

Nestled in the Verdon National Park and with a population of only 735, Roumoules is a small place with significant connections to the Principality of Monaco.

For the last 50 years, Roumoules has been home to the Radio Monte-Carlo transmitter centre, which is today managed by Claude Cottalorda and Jean-Charles Allavena, respectively the president and vice-president of Monaco Media Diffusion (MMD), the company responsible for the management and broadcasting of radio waves from this location.

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence village was also once a Grimaldi stronghold; its ties with the Principality date back to the 17th century, when the municipality was under the control of the Grimaldi-Régusse branch of the dynasty.

To mark both occasions, Prince Albert II spent 11th September in Roumoules. He was welcomed by Marc Chappuis, the prefect of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, and Gilles Megis, Mayor of Roumoules.

A ceremony marking the 50th anniversary took place, followed by the unveiling of a plaque commemorating his visit.

During his visit, the Prince unveiled a commemorative plaque and sign marking Roumoules as the latest member of the Grimaldi Historical Sites of Monaco network and held a meet-and-greet with the excited townspeople, who came out in large numbers to see him.

Prince Albert was later taken to the Place de la République, where he was awarded honorary citizenship of Roumoules.

To see more photographs of Prince Albert’s visit to Roumoules, click on the images below:

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Photo credits: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco

Mairie de Monaco invites locals on a day-long hike from Dolceacqua

Photos: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco named godparents of new Île Saint-Honorat bell

Monaco Government frustrated by SNCF decision to proceed with nighttime train cancellations

Groupe Michel Pastor renews its contract as a leading partner of AS Monaco Basket

F1: Leclerc misses out in Baku after hard-fought battle with Piastri

Photos: Prince Albert II brings Roumoules into the Grimaldi Historical Sites fold

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