Looking at the Princely Palace of Monaco

As Monaco marks its national holiday, we take a look at the Princely Palace where the Sovereign Prince resides.

The Princely Palace was built in 1191 and is the only palace the Grimaldi family has (as Monaco is quite a small country on the French Riviera and doesn’t have much room for several spacious royal residences).

It has been taken over by several foreign powers and the current reigning Grimaldi family first took possession in 1297, although several centuries later they were exiled for 20 years before regaining power.

Due to its location, the palace had to be fortified, and with not much land to build other homes, the Princely Family added wings and towers to the building as the years progressed.

It is made of various architectural styles, including the Renaissance and Medieval periods. It was renovated by Prince Rainer III, the reigning Prince Albert’s father, which is the palace you see today.

The Princely Palace is built around a court of honour where a balcony allows the family to greet the people and military parades take place during National Day.

It also contains State Apartments, a chapel, and the Archives. The State Apartments are open for tours from spring through part of autumn (except for the F1 Grand Prix weekend) where tourists can see the many frescoes from the Italian Renaissance spread throughout.

The Princely Palace has said about the famous paintings: “Beyond the revelation of these exceptional frescoes dating from the Italian Renaissance, this discovery resonates singularly with the very history of the Principality and its centuries-old ties with the Mediterranean world and the great myths that have shaped its culture and, more generally, its influence in the Western world.”

The palace chapel. Photo: Nivent2007 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Rainier III’s Zoological Gardens and the Cars Collection of H.S.H. The Prince of Monaco are also nearby.

The zoological garden is home to around 300 animals and provides a home for animals that have been abandoned, donated or recovered from seizures. The car collection was initially created by Prince Rainier III, who opened the museum to the public in 1993. Since then, the collection grew too big for the garage at the Princely Palace and had to be relocated. It can now be found at Port Hercule. Cars belonging to Prince Albert II are now also on display, including the Lexus used during the Prince’s wedding to Princess Charlene in 2011.

The Archives contain “many documents relating to European history, including the former fiefdoms of the dynasty granted by Charles V in southern Italy in 1532 (such as the Marquisate of Campagna), those granted following the Treaty of Peronne in 1641 (the Duchy of Valentinois in the Rhone Valley, marquisate of Les Baux in Provence, county of Carladès in Auvergne) … Today, these territories are grouped together in a network based on friendship and cultural promotion: the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco.”

While the palace is a tourist attraction, it is important to note that it is still a working palace where the Sovereign Prince undertakes his daily business. As such, it can be closed with little notice.

Due to its original construction, the palace is, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible.

The Princely Palace is on full display on the Sovereign Prince’s Day (or Monaco National Day) on 19 November annually, where the public gets a glimpse of their princely family and ceremonial traditions. More information on the Princely Palace can be found here.