Name: Basketball: AS Monaco vs REAL MADRID
Start: 2025-01-31T19:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-01-31T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Salle Gaston Médecin

Basketball: Roca Team make it three wins in five days against Roanne

by: Luke Entwistle

14/03/2023

AS Monaco Basketball have capped a brilliant week with one final victory. After consecutive wins in the Euroleague in the space of mere hours, the Roca Team beat Roanne (74-85) over the weekend.

Monaco’s recent form has proven that February was merely a blip. Amidst rising tensions, Sasa Obradovic has managed to steady the ship, and it feels once again as though everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Monaco rally late against Baskonia

Only 48 hours separated the Roca Team’s Euroleague ties against Panathinaikos and Baskonia. The odds were stacked against Monaco. As well as a tight turnaround, the side would be without Mike James due to an index finger injury, and they would face a Baskonia side last Friday night that are imperious on their imposing home court, which was filled with a 15,000-strong crowd on the night.

In the absence of James, this was truly a collective victory with five players scoring 14 points or more. Jordan Loyd (19 points), Elie Okobo (18 points) and Alpha Diallo (17 points) have been consistent and crucial for Monaco this season, and it was no different against Baskonia.

Loyd, Okobo and Chima Moneke (14 points, 13 rebounds) were all key in particular in the final quarter, as Monaco overturned a deficit to make the break and once again register over 100 points. The victory (93-102) consolidates the Roca Team’s position in the top four of the Euroleague.

“We have sent out a message to the world of basketball.”

“We’re nearing the playoffs. To do it again for a second year would be a formidable accomplishment, not just for Monaco, but for France. We have sent out a message to the world of basketball,” said Obradovic post-match.

A third victory in five days

Monaco then looked to complete their week with a victory in the Betclic Elite. The club are comfortably perched atop the French division, and they were hoping to keep it that way when they made the difficult trip to Roanne.

However, the Roca Team made light work of their French rivals. Jaron Blossomgame (18 points) has always turned up when called upon this season, and it was no different on Sunday.

Monaco made the break in the first quarter (17-25) and Roanne never managed to restore parity. Despite launching a comeback of sorts in the second quarter, the Monegasque team managed the tie well, coming home comfortable winners (74-85). Second-placed Boulogne-Levallois are now two wins behind Monaco.

After a perfect week, Monaco next welcome Virtus Bologna to the Salle Gaston Médecin on Thursday.

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Photo by AS Monaco Basket

Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo headlines launch of The Sea is Green

by: Cassandra Tanti

14/03/2023

Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer on Saturday launched The Sea is Green initiative at a special dinner recital, marking a year of action on the theme of the sea that will bring together art, culture and solidarity.

Under the stunning Eiffel glass dome of the Hôtel Hermitage, guests were treated to a piano concert by 16-year-old Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo, an art exhibition by Jean Boghossian, and a gastronomic meal and wine pairing imagined by Chef Yannick Alléno.

Echoing the pioneering action of Prince Albert II of Monaco, his commitments on the international scene and the actions of his Foundation, The Sea is Green is the first theme in a year-long campaign by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) to promote the protection of the oceans. This will be followed by ‘New Wave’, ‘Et vogue le navire’ (And Sail the Ship), and ‘Mer de glace‘ (Sea Ice).

In launching the initiative on Saturday 10^th March, newly appointed CEO Stéphane Valeri spoke of SBM’s dedication to sustainable development, highlighting that all of the company’s establishments are Green Globe certified, and the Resort is working towards becoming one of the very first in the world to obtain this certification in its own right.

Art inspired by the sea

To give the theme an artistic dimension, SBM asked artist Jean Boghossian to come up with a series of works inspired both by the sea and by the ambition of sustainable development. As a result, the Syrian-born artist created La Mer Incandescente: plaques that mimic the sails dotting the horizon during regattas, which will be displayed in the gardens and streets of Monte-Carlo. He is also showcasing in the halls of the Hôtel Hermitage his ceramic sculptures that incorporate corals and sea shells.

“In 2016, I acquired the collection of the shell museum in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which was due to close,” explained Jean Boghossian. “The collection was therefore able to continue to be presented to the public. They are marvels, each shell is as beautiful as a precious stone.”

*Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo performing during The Sea is Green event on 10th March*

Monaco’s young concert pianist steals the show

The evening highlight was Monegasque pianist Stella Almondo. At just 16 years of age, this talented performer has already garnered an impressive track record, winning numerous competitions including the Flame in Paris, the Steinway & Sons in Cannes and the International Young Chopin Competition in Switzerland.

After giving her first concert at the age of 10, Stella has since performed with the Orchestre National de Cannes, the Slovak Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Monte-Carlo Opera for the Printemps des Arts. She also performed for the National Council in Monaco, where she impressed outgoing president Stéphane Valeri so much that he invited her to take part in Saturday’s event.

Guests were treated to five concertos, including Schumann’s Sonata n°2 and Chopin’s Étude Op. 25, No. 12 ‘Ocean’.

Radio Classique Journalist and Presenter David Abiker was MC for the evening, while pianist Camille Taver amused guests with his improvisations around the theme of the sea.

Under the Eiffel glass dome

The dinner was served, for the first time ever, under the Eiffel glass roof of the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. The Winter Garden, as it is known, had its dome designed and erected by the disciples of Gustave Eiffel, the undisputed master of metal architecture.

The meal was specially composed by Chef Yannick Alléno (Pavyllon Monte-Carlo) to illustrate the theme The Sea Is Green.

Overall, the evening was a pleasure to the senses, combining art, music, gastronomy and creative ambition with the joy of living and an ambition to protect the ocean: Monte-Carlo in a nutshell.

Click on the gallery below to see more images of the evening…

See more in the reel below…

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A post shared by Cassandra Tanti (@cassandratanti)

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All photos source: Monte-Carlo SBM

2023 MIPIM focuses on innovation, tech and sustainability

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/03/2023

The MIPIM real estate convention is back to talk trends, challenges and the future of the market, and this year’s edition has a strong focus on innovation, tech and sustainability.

The International Market for Real Estate Professionals, more commonly known as MIPIM, is returning with renewed purpose from 14th to 17th March.

It will focus on several areas such as post-pandemic positive urban change and what markets to invest in as well as launch a new Road to Zero zone that aims to accelerate the transformation of the built-up environment towards a more sustainable model.

Held every year at the Palais des Festivals, the event is expected to see over 23,000 people attending with delegates from 90 countries and 2,400 businesses exhibiting. Additionally, a great number of the world’s leading investment managers have confirmed they will be on hand, including Isabelle Scemama, Global Head of Investment at AXA, and Henning Koch, CEO of Commerz Real.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the world’s investment community to MIPIM 2023, who will make up around a quarter of all delegates,” said MIPIM Director Nicolas Kozubek. “With an end to low interest rates and continuing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, this promises to be a crucial year for cities and regions looking to secure vital capital investment to support building and regeneration projects.”

FACING CHALLENGES

MIPIM 2023 will look at the most pressing challenges facing the industry, notably those brought on by recent global events, driving change through leadership, the innovation needed to reshape the housing markets and environments, and how to bring the pieces together to do what now needs to be done.

The MIPIM Awards show, which will be taking place at the Palais des Festival’s Grand Auditiorium from 6.30pm on 16th March, will be giving recognition to projects that “seek to enhance the built environment’s prospects, in line with ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals”.

Some of the categories include Best Alternative Project, Best Mixed-Use Project, Best New Development, Best Refurbished Building and Best Urban Regeneration Project. There are 43 visionary finalists vying for the prizes, all using eco-friendly tools and approaches to their work.

NEW THIS YEAR

This year, MIPIM is launching a new Road to Zero area, which hopes to speed up the switch of the real estate world towards a more sustainable model. The 400m2 space will combine exhibition, networking and conference areas with a focus on practical methods to limit carbon emissions in the real estate industry.

For more information, please click here.

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.

Photo source: MIPIM

Monaco Age Oncology: The stage for a radical virtual reality treatment for cancer patients

by: Elsa Carpenter

14/03/2023

Virtual reality and its ability to alleviate stress and soothe the minds of cancer patients will be the focus of a fascinating workshop at the upcoming Monaco Age Oncology conference, which takes place later this month.

In the same way that cancer treatments can be hard on the body, they can be tough for the mind and spirit too. That’s the subject of one of the workshops planned for the 2023 Monaco Age Oncology (MAO) event that will highlight the revolutionary new use of virtual reality in the care of cancer patients at the CHU Lyon Sud and Saint-Étienne Nord.

The workshop will take place on Thursday 23rd March at 2pm in the Monte-Carlo Congress Centre. There, care givers from the two hospitals will present their experiences and findings alongside a virtual reality simulation, which will give attendees personal insight into how VR could be incorporated into their own practices.

The concept uses VR headsets with digital stereoscopic technology to whisk the patient away to a different “environment” during treatment.

As Gilles Freyer, a professor of oncology at the medical oncology departments of the CHU Lyon Sud and Saint-Étienne Nord as well as the president of the Organising Committee of the MAO, explains, “The brain is focused on what it sees and what it hears thanks to the immersive device. The [patient] experiences these sensations and is disconnected from the treatment in progress.”

It is a thoroughly sensory experience that “provides patients with a state of general relaxation and offers considerable benefit against anxiety”.

“It provides psychological comfort, which is coupled with real physical effectiveness against nausea,” continues Professor Freyer. “We were also able to measure that the relaxing effects persist several hours after the administration of the treatment.”

The workshop is open to all participants of the MAO event, which runs between 22nd and 24th March. More information on the conference can be found here.

Monaco Age Oncology 2023: Major medical meet heads to Grimaldi Forum

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Photo source: Adrian Deweerdt for Unsplash

Monaco court turns down Pastor bid to halt Esplanade des Pêcheurs project

by: Elsa Carpenter

13/03/2023

A judge has dismissed a motion brought by Patrice Pastor’s SCI Esperanza that sought to overturn the decommissioning of the controversial Esplanade des Pêcheurs plot.

The Esplanade des Pêcheurs saga is nearly 10 years in the making without even a single brick having been laid. Now the path has been cleared for construction to begin, following the dismissal of a case brought by SCI Esperanza, which is run and managed by developer Patrice Pastor, that hoped to negate a decision and law passed last year by the National Council.

The law in question allows the State to benefit financially from private developments as well as securing more much-needed housing for Monegasque citizens.

Pastor and SCI Esperanza had taken umbrage with several elements of the Esplanade des Pêcheurs project and the recent law, namely the “lack of competition” and tender process in handing the plot over to the Caroli Group, and that the development is not in the public interest. All points were dismissed by the sitting judge, Didier Linotte, reports Monaco Matin.

Where do the issues with the Esplanade des Pêcheurs project originate?

There was very little mention of the Caroli Group during the hearing – this case was a direct disagreement between the State and SCI Esperanza – and it appears that any previous ructions between the Caroli Group and the Monegasque government have been put to bed.

In 2014, the State and the Société Monégasque d’Etudes et des Gestion Immobilières, now known as the Caroli Group, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a large-scale project on the Esplanade des Pêcheurs and the government was set to submit a bill to the National Council to decommission the land. This never materalised and, less than a year later, the State withdrew all plans.

The Caroli Group was outraged and sought financial retribution to the tune of €423 million. In 2020, Monaco’s court ultimately ruled that the State should pay the developer €137 million plus interest since the filing of the claim in 2018.

Prince Albert II was forced to step in and called on his government to find a more amicable solution. This took the form of a modified project, which included premises for the State and a smaller private building than the one proposed.

As it stands today, there has been no construction work on the Esplanade des Pêcheurs.

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Photo source: Caroli Group

Prince Rainier III: A series of major events set to commemorate the centenary of the Builder Prince’s birth

by: Stephanie Horsman

13/03/2023

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of her father’s birth, Princess Stephanie has revealed details about the main events that will celebrate Prince Rainier III. From a gala ball to a concert in New York, there’s plenty planned for the coming year.

Known as the Builder Prince, Prince Rainier III’s reign was marked by many changes that modernised Monaco, leaving a legacy that is still very much felt today. It is well known that he was instrumental in the creation of both Fontvieille and Larvotto, clawing back land from the sea to expand the territory, but he was also a social trailblazer, putting in place a new constitution and making Monaco an international destination, notably through his marriage to Grace Kelly, who then became his Princess.

He also can be credited with the establishment of several of the Principality’s best-known events and organisations, including the Monte-Carlo Television Festival and the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival.

2023 marks the centenary of his birth: 31st May 1923

In his honour, his daughter Princess Stéphanie has put together a programme of events that will celebrate this remarkable man.

“This is the culmination of several months of work,” Princess Stéphanie told the local press. “The first events will take place at the end of May… I think we are going to have a great year paying tribute to my dad.”

Planned events

The calendar of events kicks off on 31st May in a day of tribute for Monegasques and residents. This date will also see the launch of an exhibition entitled ‘The Prince at Home’, which will be displayed in the Grand Apartments of the Palais Princier de Monaco. Various other exhibitions, such as ‘Prince Rainier III, A Sailor Above All’ at the Yacht Club de Monaco and the ‘100 Years of Metamorphosis of the Casino Square’ in Monaco’s Carré d’Or, will also celebrate his legacy.

June will see a concert by the Rainier III Academy of Music on 14th, a conference by friend Jacques Boisson on 15th, and a special concert by the Carabinieri Orchestra at the United Nations in New York on 19th.

In July, Monaco’s technical and hospitality school will be renamed the Prince Rainier III School, complete with a ceremony and special unveiling of a bust.

On 21st October, the Centennial Ball will be held at the Monte-Carlo Casino as a moment that heralds back to the glorious days of parties and balls hosted by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace.

A National Day event involving the 1st Tirailleurs Regiment, with whom Prince Rainier III served at the end of the Second World War, will take place on 19th November.

In addition to these official events, many Monaco institutions and establishments will organise their own complementary occasions. A documentary film about his life is being put together, the Oceanographic Museum will toast his links to Jacques Cousteau, the Yacht Club is putting on a feature highlighting his love of boats, and a vintage car parade will celebrate his passion for automobiles.

What’s most important to all the organisers involved is inclusiveness, which they hope will culminate in side-events put on by individuals that will complement the official schedule.

“The idea is to show everything he has done for our country and which still benefits some people today,” said Princess Stéphanie. “He was an incredible man and a wonderful dad, even if sometimes I missed him because he worked a lot. He also considered all the other Monegasques as his children.”

For the full schedule, please click here.

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Photo courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco

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