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Day: 1 March 2026

Monaco issues urgent travel warning for Middle East as region erupts

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/03/2026

The Princely Government has issued an urgent alert to all Monegasque nationals currently travelling or residing in the Middle East, as the region faces one of its most severe security crises in years.

The warning, issued on Saturday 28th February, comes as the situation across the Middle East deteriorates rapidly following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike on Saturday morning. More than 200 people have been reported killed across Iran, according to the Red Crescent, including at least 108 in a strike on a girls’ school in Tehran. Around 40 Iranian officials are also reported dead. Iran has vowed what it is calling “the most devastating offensive operation” against US bases and Israel in retaliation, with strikes already reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait.

US President Donald Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and urged Iranians to “take back their country.” Scenes of both celebration and mourning have been reported across Iranian cities.

Against this backdrop, the Princely Government is calling on all Monegasque nationals in the region to take no risks, to strictly limit their movements, to follow local security instructions without delay, and where necessary to remain in protected locations away from exposed areas.

What Monegasque travellers must do now

All Monegasque nationals present in the region are asked to make themselves known to the Princely Government immediately, providing their current situation, location and contact details so that appropriate monitoring can be put in place. The dedicated number is +377 93 15 30 15.

Travellers are also strongly urged to register without delay on the Fil d’Ariane system operated by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, which provides real-time security alerts and updates for French-speaking nationals abroad.

The Princely Government has stated that it is monitoring the situation with the utmost attention and that the safety of Monegasque nationals remains an absolute priority.

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Dalí’s largest ever painting — with a Monaco connection — heads to auction in Paris

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/03/2026

A monumental work by Salvador Dalí, considered the largest painting the artist ever created, will lead Bonhams’ annual Surrealism sale in Paris on 26th March — and its origins have an unexpected connection to Monaco.

Bacchanale, a stage set comprising 13 panels with a total size of more than 20 by 30 metres, was created by Dalí in 1939 for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The set was produced in the Ballet Russe workshop in Monte Carlo, under the direction of Alexandre Schervachidze, with Dalí personally overseeing key details of the final curtain and backdrop. The choreographer was Léonide Massine, director of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, and Coco Chanel was brought in to design part of the costumes — though she ultimately refused to send her pieces when complications arose from the outbreak of war in Europe.

The work is estimated at €200,000 to €300,000 and comes from an important private collection.

Dalí described Bacchanale as his first paranoiac-critical ballet — a total work of art in which he wrote the libretto and designed the sets and costumes. The central motif is the Mount of Venus, overlaid with a large swan as a symbol of sin and desire. The score was an adaptation of Wagner’s Tannhäuser overture, and the premiere on 9th November 1939 at the Metropolitan Opera was a success despite the turbulence surrounding it. Dalí himself was unable to attend.

The work has had a notable recent exhibition history, shown in Madrid in both 2023 and 2024, and displayed at the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan in 2025.

Emilie Millon, Head of Bonhams’ Impressionist and Modern Art department in Paris, described it as “the largest painting created by Salvador Dalí for the New York Opera House — a priceless fantasy that can become a reality for any collector.”

Jane Graverol, Tete en lair

Other highlights

The sale, now in its fourth consecutive year as a dedicated Surrealism auction, also features works by Francis Picabia, Jane Graverol, Man Ray, André Masson, Leonor Fini and others. A collection of 11 Picabia paintings and works on paper will be offered, headlined by La Polonaise, an oil on panel from 1940 estimated at €200,000 to €300,000, from the former collection of Olga Picabia. Belgian Surrealist Jane Graverol is represented by Tête en l’air, a circa 1945 oil on panel estimated at €25,000 to €35,000, depicting the body in a state of dreamlike transformation that blurs reality and imagination.

The Bonhams Surrealism sale takes place in Paris on 26th March 2026.

See also:

Salvador Dalí comes to Mareterra: Inside Monaco’s newest art destination

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Photo of Salvador Dali’s 1904-1989 Decor de theatre for Bacchanale