Prince Albert II, accompanied by Princess Charlene and their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, officially opened the 6th edition of the Grimaldi Historic Sites village on Saturday morning at the Prince’s Palace.
The opening ceremony on Palace Square welcomed delegates from over 80 French territorial communities and around 30 Italian associations that form the historic Grimaldi network. The later was established a decade ago by the late Jean-Claude Guibal, former mayor of Menton.
In his opening speech, Prince Albert II traced genealogical connections spanning European history, highlighting how these ancient bonds still remain relevant.
“From Alsace to Brittany, from the Ardennes to the RhĂ´ne Valley, I discover issues and questions that may be those of Monaco: mobility, environmental sustainability, energy, maritime affairs, cross-border relations,” the Prince noted
This year’s spotlight fell on territories with particularly deep royal connections. Three sites from Haute-Loire – Polignac, LavoĂ»te-sur-Loire, and Saint-Pal-de-Chalencon – represent the homeland of Prince Albert’s II paternal grandfather, Pierre de Polignac, whose 1920 marriage to Princess Charlotte ensured the dynasty’s continuity.
The Italian connection proved equally compelling, with Bardi and Compiano in the Apennines representing the ancient principality of Val di Taro. Prince Albert II recalled how the 1595 marriage between Hercule Grimaldi and Maria Landi produced his ancestor HonorĂ© II, sovereign during Monaco’s ‘Grand Siècle’.
Other honoured locations included Ollioules in the Var, burial place of an 18th-century Grimaldi bishop; Villeneuve-Loubet in the Alpes-Maritimes, where Grimaldi ancestors served as fortress governors during the Middle Ages; and Uzès in the Gard, connected through the 1696 marriage of Prince Louis I’s daughter Anne-Hippolyte to the seventh Duke of Uzès.
Speaking directly to Italian participants in their native language, Prince Albert expressed heartfelt gratitude for their “faithful attachment to the Principality”, acknowledging both Italian community contributions to Monaco and the importance of cross-border workers to the Principality’s economy.
Commemorative plaques and village tour
Following his speech, Prince Albert presented commemorative plaques to eight invited mayors, plus representatives from Monaco’s technical services and GlĂ©nat Editions. Meanwhile, publisher Jacques GlĂ©nat unveiled the new graphic novel ‘Monaco: The Grimaldi Epic’, created in collaboration with the Prince’s Palace Archives.
The publication, featuring a preface by Prince Albert II and afterword by Stéphane Bern, offers both French and English versions. Its creators, screenwriter Arnaud Delalande and illustrator Cédric Fernandez, will be providing signing sessions throughout the weekend.
The princely family then toured the village exhibition, meeting numerous participants and stopping to each of their stands, which showcased their traditions, crafts and local flavours.
An evening to rememberÂ
Saturday’s festivities concluded with a sound and light show projected onto the Palace facade. Prince Albert II revealed this year’s presentation would feature his great-great-grandfather Prince Albert I, the ‘propagator of oceanography’, as narrator – a fitting tribute following the recent conclusion of the major UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
The network continues strengthening cultural and political ties between Monaco and its historic territorial connections, with Prince Albert II praising the consistent success maintained by the Monaco Federation of Grimaldi Historic Sites and the Pavillon Monaco implementation team.
Monaco Life’s Kyriaki Topalidou was there! See more in her video reel below…
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All photos credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life