The Palace Archives, the Prince Pierre Foundation and the Monaco Audiovisual Institute are offering several events at the Théâtre des Variétés to celebrate the 150Th anniversary of Colette’s birth.
Born on 28th January 1873, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress and journalist.
She stayed regularly on the Côte d’Azur throughout her life. Over a number of decades, she also forged a special bond with Monaco. In 1908, she performed at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Place du Casino, in La Chair. In 1925, she wrote the libretto for Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, premiered at the Salle Garnier, and met her third husband, Maurice Goudeket, in Cap-d’Ail.
After the war, she returned to the South where she was welcomed in Grasse by the Polignac family. It was the beginning of her friendship with Prince Pierre. Thereafter, she stayed at the Hôtel de Paris every winter.
Appointed honorary president of the Literary Council of the Principality upon its creation in 1951, Colette made her last visit to Monaco in April 1954 for the presentation of the Literary Prize to Jules Roy at the Prince’s Palace.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the following events have been planned:
Monday 6-7 November at 7pm – Colette : écrivain par hazard – Conférence d’Antoine Compagnon
Tuesday 7 November at 8pm – Chéri, film by Stephen Frears (2009), starring Michelle Pfieffer.
6 to 25 November – L’ami des princes – photographic rendering
For further information, visit www.fondationprincepierre.mc and www.institut-audiovisuel.mc
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