Almost 100 members and friends of the Club Suisse de Monaco, a long-standing social group for Swiss expats living in the Principality, turned out for the Alpine nation’s National Day celebrations on the Larvotto beachfront on 1st August.  

Switzerland’s National Day is celebrated each year on the first day of August. Though it has only been an official holiday since 1994, the date has been celebrated in Switzerland almost every year since 1891. For the people of Switzerland, 1st August dually commemorates the birth of the Swiss Confederacy and the Anniversary of the Federal Charter of 1291. 

To mark the occasion in 2024, the Club Suisse de Monaco invited around 90 members and friends of the association to a special event at the new Rose des Vents restaurant on Larvotto Beach.  

Fabrice Notari, an acclaimed architect and prominent member of Monaco’s Swiss community, as well as a member of the Principality’s Conseil National and the president of its External Relations Commission, was the party’s guest of honour. 

During the event, Notari delivered a speech in which he shared personal stories about his family’s connections to Switzerland, which resonated well with attendees and created a heightened sense of community among those who had gathered.  

Other highlights of the party included a moving performance by Pasquale Ferrero of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, who sang the Swiss and Monegasque national anthems accompanied by guitarist Leopoldo Giannola. 

Founded in 1949, the Club Suisse de Monaco is one of the oldest associations in the Principality. It focuses on maintaining and promoting social and cultural relations between Swiss and Monegasque residents and other nationals in Monaco. With around 1,200 people, the Swiss community in Monaco is one of the largest populations of foreign residents in the Principality.  

The club regularly organises events on various topics, such as economics, politics and health, that feature talks and presentations from notable Swiss personalities. 

The next big date for the club will be the traditional Welcoming of New Members event, which will be held at Marius on Port Hercule’s Quai Antoine 1er on 12th September.  

For more information on the club and its upcoming events, click here. 

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Photo credit: Club Suisse de Monaco