Arguably the most famous and influential artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso made the Côte d’Azur his home for nearly three decades. On the 50th anniversary of his death, we look back at how his later life was sculpted by a new-found creativity brought on by his move to the land of sun, sea and sand.
Pablo Picasso’s interest in the Côte d’Azur and its famous light began back in the 1920’s when he, like many artists, writers and intellectuals, was living in Paris. The appeal may have remained entirely unexplored had it not been for World War II and the German occupation of the city he lived in and loved.
After the war, looking for inspiration and an escape from the dreariness of the post-war era, Picasso, who was in his mid 60s, and his lover Françoise Gilot made their way south, eventually landing in the South of France.
He was already a world-renowned artist whose accomplishments made him a household name, but the story doesn’t end with a nice retirement on the beach. The region invigorated him, and he began a prolific period where he not only painted but started to dabble in ceramics and sculpting at the Vallauris studio of Georges and Suzanne Ramié. He was so enthralled by the village, he moved there a year later, and created his own space where he created beautiful pieces with his signature style, incorporating Greco-Roman touches from the region’s history.
He felt a kinship to the area, finding it similar in ways to his native Spain, which may have contributed to his happiness, and often depicted bulls in his art, a symbol of Spain, yes, but also of Southern France, where bullfighting was still a popular pastime.
Picasso painting in the Chapel of Vallauris
In 1952, he moved to Cannes with the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, Jacqueline Roque, before moving on to Aix-en-Provence and then settling in his last home in Mougins. Here he continued to be productive until the end of his life, with an estimated 50,000 works credited to his name.
Fifty years after his death on 8th April 1973, the impact of his presence is still felt locally. The Picasso Museum in Antibes, where he also worked for a time, supports his legacy and draws in tourists from around the globe.
Queues line up to see his La Guerre et la Paix fresco at the church in Vallauris as well as L’homme au Moutonstatue in the village square, and Paloma Beach in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat proudly boasts of their connection to the artist, who used to spend time there with his family. In fact, the beach is named after Picasso’s daughter.
Additionally, though not his own work, his image is a prominent part of the Andres Villers Museum of Photography in Mougins, where a series of photos of the artist are exhibited.
Even recently, stashes of Picasso works cropped up, including a case where an elderly couple in Mouans-Sartoux were convicted of concealing stolen property in 2016 after 271 unsigned Picassos were found hidden in a cupboard in their home for 40 years.
Most don’t need an excuse to celebrate the life of Pablo Picasso, but on this milestone anniversary of his death, why not take time to retrace his footsteps and see the places he himself found so inspirational.
Having initially missed out on a wildcard for the Monte-Carlo Masters, Andy Murray will now compete in the event following the withdrawals of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Stan Wawrinka, Fabio Fognini, Valentin Vacherot and Jack Draper were initially the recipients of the highly-coveted wildcards, which were announced last week. However, a lot can change in a week, and a lot has happened since that announcement.
Nadal and Alcaraz pulled out earlier this week, with both suffering injuries from which they have not sufficiently recovered. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gaël Monfils have both since pulled out, leaving room for Murray, who looked to have missed out, to compete in the tournament, which begins on Saturday 8th April.
Murray, who has recovered from two hip operations, hasn’t competed at the Monte-Carlo Masters since 2017. The 35-year-old Scotsman reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
Dominic Thiem returns to Monaco
Another player to profit from the spate of injuries in the lead up to the tournament is Austrian player Dominic Thiem. He benefits from Monfils’ injury, which meant that Draper’s entry was no longer on invitation. Thiem won the US Open in 2020, but hasn’t reached a Grand Slam final since. He has notably suffered with a recurring wrist injury.
Fognini, who was reliant on a wildcard to compete in the event at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, has also had to withdraw through injury, and he is replaced by compatriot Lorenzo Sonego. Wildcards have also been granted to Frenchmen Luca Van Assche and Benoit Paire, whilst Monégasque players Lucas Catarina and Hugo Nys have the chance to feature, but must first pass through the qualifying rounds.
The Monte-Carlo Masters gets underway in a matter of days, and many of the players don’t need to travel far to compete, with a significant number of tennis’ elite based right here in the Principality of Monaco.
Monaco is a magnet for sportspeople. Much of the 2023 Formula One grid is based in the Principality, whilst many cyclists such as Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Peter Sagan and Tadej Pogacar utilise the region’s undulating and meandering topography to prepare for the season.
With the Monte-Carlo Masters set to get underway on 8th April, many of the participants won’t be travelling far. Novak Djokovic, for example, has been practising on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, whilst Alexander Zverev has been spotted sampling some of the other sports that the Principality has to offer, witnessing AS Monaco Basketball’s victory against Gravelines-Dunkerque over the weekend.
Why do tennis players live in Monaco?
The facilities at the Monte-Carlo Country Club (MCCC), the home of the Monte-Carlo Masters, are a draw for the game’s elite. The club, located outside of the borders of the Principality in Roquebrune Cap-Martin, has 21 clay courts, two covered courts, two hard courts and 15 lighted courts. Half of the Grand Slam events, the Australian Open and the US Open are played on hard courts, whilst the French Open, one of the other two Grand Slams, is played on clay. The MCCC, as well as being one of the most glamorous events on the ATP Masters 1000 circuit, is therefore also one of the most practical for players on the circuit.
Photo by Monaco Life / Luke Entwistle
The climate is also a draw. Grigor Dimitrov, the former ATP world number three, said “We couldn’t be more blessed to train in such conditions.” The temperate Côte d’Azur has mild, sunny and relatively short winters, creating optimal training conditions for the professionals.
There is also an element of following the herd. “Every morning, you come on the court and there are four top players practising. It’s great to see and I think that also motivates us to do better,” said Dimitrov.
“It’s the ideal place to be! There are so many great players around,” added Stefanos Tsitsipas, the winner of the last two editions of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Half of the Grand Slams also take place in Europe, in London, England and Paris, France, making the Principality of Monaco an ideal base throughout the year.
However, arguably the biggest reason is financial. Monaco is a tax haven, meaning that residents don’t have to pay personal income taxes. In tennis, players are taxed depending on the country in which they are competing. For example, a foreigner competing in the US Open will be charged a flat 30% rate on their earnings from that tournament. Those same earnings could then be taxed in their home country, so in order to avoid double taxation, many players base themselves in Monaco.
Photo of the MCCC by Monaco Life / Luke Entwistle
Some, however, such as Rafael Nadal, who lives in his native Mallorca, haven’t made such a move, despite the financial implications. “If I lived in another part of the world, I would have earned double, but in Mallorca, I have my friends and family. So I would have twice the money, but be half as happy,” said the Spaniard.
Djokovic, who is tied with Nadal on 22 Grand Slam victories, made a different choice, and he isn’t the only one. Monaco Life takes you through some of tennis’ most recognisable stars residing in the Principality.
Novak Djokovic
The Serbian made the move when he was a teenager. At the time, he cited the “relaxed” nature of Principality life as a factor behind his move from Belgrade. He now calls Monaco home, and he is an ambassador for the Princess Charlene Foundation. Djokovic heads into the Monte-Carlo Masters as the top seed, and will be looking to better last year’s performance, where he got knocked out in the first round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Greek player is well known to tennis fans around Monaco. Tsitsipas has won the previous two editions of the Monte-Carlo Masters and will be looking to make it three in a row later this month. The current world number three has made two Grand Slam finals but has lost both at the hands of Djokovic, the most recent defeat coming at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Daniil Medvedev
Russian tennis player Medvedev was once world number one but is now ranked fourth. He has one Grand Slam to his name, the US Open in 2021. Speaking in 2019, Medvedev, who traded Moscow for Monaco, said he found the move difficult initially due to a form of culture shock. However, Medvedev is a French speaker and is now well-integrated into the region. He has previously cited sporting reasons for the move, admitting that it is difficult to train in Moscow.
Caroline Wozniacki
Now retired, Wozniacki was ranked number one in the world for a total of 71 weeks and won the Australian Open in 2018. The Dane retired back in 2020 and is now an ESPN presenter. She is now a neighbour to Tsitsipas following the Greek player’s change of apartments back in November.
Stan Wawrinka
Wawrinka is another familiar name with tennis fans in Monaco. The Swiss former world number three won the tournament back in 2014. He also has three Grand Slams to his name, having won the Australian Open back in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the US Open in 2016. Wawrinka has been dogged by injury in recent years but has been attributed a wildcard for this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.
David Goffin
David Goffin, a Belgian player, who reached a career-high ATP ranking of 7th back in 2017, has been living in Monaco since 2015. His move to the Principality was criticised at the time and ultimately divulged the reasons behind living in Monaco.
“It’s a great atmosphere for sports people. In Liège, there is a warmth that I miss a bit, but in Belgium, it became too difficult for me to train there because I couldn’t make a step without being solicited, and so I couldn’t be at ease. I won’t even speak about the weather. Here, at the end of December, I’m training every day outside basically in a T-shirt,” said Goffin.
Petra Kvitova
Kvitova, a Czech player, has won two Grand Slams during her career so far, both of which have come at Wimbledon. Her move to Monaco created a political storm in Czechia and she was notably criticised by Czech Social Democrat MP Stanislav Huml back in 2014.
“I think we should have a long and hard think about the fact that if someone leaves the Czech Republic to become a member of another state, they should lose their Czech citizenship. Because I don’t know that the few percent less in taxes that she stands to pay in a country like Monaco deflects from the fact that perhaps the Cezch Republic actually helped her achieve some of her success,” he said.
Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov reached a career-high of third in the world ranking back in 2017, and he remains in the top 30. The Bulgarian player reached the semi-finals of last year’s Monte-Carlo Masters and will be hoping to go deep into this year’s edition of the tournament.
Milos Raonic
Canadian player Raonic hasn’t played a competitive match since the summer of 2021, but his coach said in December that Raonic hadn’t retired and that he was working himself back to fitness. Raonic, who moved to Monaco in 2012, has previously been a world number three and reached the Wimbledon final back in 2016. As well as training at the MCCC, he, like other professionals, also spends time working at the Stade Louis II, the home of AS Monaco.
Alexander Zverev
Zverev, currently ranked 16th in the world, and formerly the world number two, recently attended an AS Monaco basketball fixture. The German reportedly moved in 2017 and cited “better training conditions” as motivation.
Whilst the number of elite tennis players in the Principality will multiply over the next fortnight, plenty are here year-round.
Watch Novak Djokovic preparing for the Monte-Carlo Masters at the MCCC recently in our Instagram video below…
Registering a car in Monaco may seem a bit daunting, but this simple guide will help make it easy as one-two-three.
Administrative tasks like registering a new or used vehicle used to be a serious time-taker, but in today’s more streamlined world, it is a matter of a few forms, which can be accessed online, collecting the relevant documents and scheduling an appointment, which can be handled by phone, internet or email.
WHO CAN REGISTER A CAR IN MONACO
Any person who resides or whose company is domiciled in the Principality can register a new or used car in Monaco.
Monaco residents will need to prove their residency by showing either a national ID card or a national passport with proof of address (gas or electricity bill from the SMEG, rental agreement), or a valid residence permit.
Professionals who are company owners or staff, individuals or legal entities “authorised to exercise a professional, commercial or industrial activity, or to operate an association and who are resident in the Principality” are also permitted to register a vehicle in Monaco so long as they are currently operational.
Non-trading companies are excluded from registering vehicles.
REQUESTING THE NECESSARIES
An online form to ask for a registration certificate and license plates can found on the https://monservicepublic.gouv.mc/ website and must first be filled out by anyone registering a vehicle. A person registering a used car must fill out an additional one-page form, the Certificate of Sale or Transfer of a Used Vehicle, to ensure a used vehicle transfer was done properly between the two parties.
Several documents must also be submitted including proof of identity, meaning a valid residency permit, Monaco passport or national ID card, an invoice with all particulars from the seller such as their name, address, car serial number, odometer readings, and amount sold for, and any pertinent reports, inspections and conformity checks related to the vehicle. Anything being submitted must be in French or translated into French or it will not be accepted.
Cars coming from outside France and Monaco will follow the same general protocol and will need the same proofs, with a few extras, depending on the country of origin. For example, if the car is coming from outside the European Union, there must be a signed, dated receipt showing the payment of customs duties issued by the Douane, the French Customs Authorities.
APPLYING FOR AND RECEIVING PLATES
Once all documents are in order, the vehicle owner can make an appointment at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office, which can be done online, via e-mail or by calling the office directly.
On the day of the rendezvous, the applicant must bring all paperwork as well as a preferred payment method. Once the agent has given the all-clear that everything is in order, they will arrange a date and time to pick up the registration certificate and number plates within 72 hours. If the agent does not set a pick-up time, this can be done using the same avenues as the original appointment.
VINTAGE CARS
Any vehicle over 30-years-old can be registered as a vintage car by owner request. Vehicles registered this way may only be driven occasionally at rallies or other events where the participation of a specific type of vehicle is required. It is not a requirement for cars over 30-years-old be registered as such, though, and the owner can choose to register them under the same rules as standard cars.
Prince Albert has been awarded an environmental prize in Cyprus by President Nikos Christodoulides. The trip, organised by Cypriot businessman and Monaco resident John Christodoulou, also attracted members of the Monaco Ambassadors Club to the small island republic.
The visit was organised for the weekend of 1st April and included a cultural tour of the island.
John Christodoulou led the Prince around the famous village of Lefkara, where it is said that Leonardo da Vinci visited as a guest of Catherine Cornaro – Queen of Cyprus.
The Prince and members of the Monaco Ambassadors Club (MAC) were welcomed for a dinner at the Amara Hotel in Limassol with the newly elected President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides. As the former Minister for Foreign affairs, the 49-year-old is well known for his strong commitment to strengthening the European bonds of Cyprus, and returning negotiating parties back to the table over the ‘Cyprus problem’.
During the evening, Prince Albert II was awarded a prize for his overall contribution to the protection of the environment. Guests celebrated the moment with a glass of traditional 50-year-old Coumandaria wine, of which the Prince was gifted with a bottle.
Prince Albert, honorary president of the MAC, receiving an environmental award from President Nikos Christodoulides, alongside John Christodoulou. Photo source: Yianis Christodoulou Foundation
Promotion of Cypriot tradition and art
MAC guests also attended an award ceremony on Monday 3rd April at Monte Caputo in Limassol for the ‘Love Cyprus’ school competition organised by the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation.
The new initiative provided an opportunity to promote creativity among the student population with the aim of upgrading their schools, a purpose which attracted the attention of young creators.
During the ceremony, eight schools were awarded for their masterpieces with cash prizes totalling €180,000.
Under the motto ‘Love Cyprus’, all creations, including photos and videos, promote Cyprus, not only as a summer tourist destination, but also as a country characterised by great tradition and culture, hospitality, arts, customs and natural beauties.
MAC president Christian Moore, Cypriot singer-songwriter Anna Vissi and Greek philanthropist Marianna Latsi were among the guests and judges of the competition.
During their short trip to Cyprus, guests were also guided to Lefkara, Omodos, Kourio, and the old town of Limassol. They enjoyed Cypriot cuisine in traditional taverns, and were greeted by a shot of zivania at every occasion!
Click on the gallery below to see more pictures from Prince Albert and Monaco Ambassadors Club trip to Cyprus…
The first UN Water Conference held in a generation concluded with the adoption of the Water Action Agenda, a 700-strong commitment plan aimed at protecting this essential resource. But those gathered stopped short of establishing a formal agreement along the lines of the 2015 Paris Accord and the 2022 Montréal Deal.
The UN Water Conference, held between 22nd and 24th March at the UN Headquarters in New York, was special in several ways, not least of which was because it was the first such meeting dedicated to water security to be hosted in over 40 years.
The importance of water in the grand scheme was apparent in the massive turnout. Upwards of 2,000 participants, from politicians and government representatives to industry leaders and experts from the scientific community, gathered for the rounds of conferences and events.
WATER ACTION AGENDA
Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the event was the adoption of the Water Action Agenda plan: a document filled with 700 action-oriented voluntary commitments to water-related projects.
Scientists have said that severe water shortages will affect the whole of Earth by 2040 unless drastic measures are taken, so the $300 billion in pledges made to support the Water Action Agenda must be used wisely. If they are, they have the potential, said General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi, to unlock more than $1 trillion in socio-economic and environmental gains.
“Your dedication to action and transformation is propelling us towards a sustainable, equitable and inclusive water-secure future for people and planet alike,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told those present. “This conference demonstrated a central truth: as humanity’s most precious global common good, water unites us all, and it flows across a number of global challenges.”
MONACO’S PARTICPATION
Monaco’s Permanent Representative to the UN Isabelle Picco, pictured above at the event, spoke of the Principality’s ongoing work in the management of water, citing a 26% decrease in consumption and the importance of the government’s investments in infrastructure, such as the recently upgraded Waste Water Treatment Plant (UTER) in Fontvieille.
Monaco also co-organised three events outside of the conference, which provided a way to promote field solutions. These events included a networking session with the Coalition for the UN We Need, chaired by the former president of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, where 60 young representatives of civil society met to discuss the issues of the conference.
