Cultural associations
The Prince Pierre Foundation
Officially established in 1966 by Prince Rainier III in honor of his father.
- The association is led by Princess Caroline whose interest in Letters and Arts is known.
- Its purpose is to encourage creation by prize awarding in the domains of literary creation, music composition and arts.
- The three institutions of which the foundation consists were created beginning with 1951:
- 1951 — the Grand Literary Prize
- 1960 — the Prince Rainier III Prize for Musical Composition
- 1965 — the International Contemporary Art Prize was awarded for the first time.
The Princess Grace Foundation
It was established in 1964 at the order of Princess Grace and governs the Princess Grace Dance Academy.
Reputable establishments: the Rainier III Academy of Music, the Princess Grace Municipal Plastic Art School.
Music
The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
It was founded in 1863. Illustrious names as those of Toscanini, Richard Strauss or Leonard Bernstein are linked to its history, as they were its guest conductors. The Orchestra has won great prizes among which “The Golden Orpheus”.
The Opera of Monte Carlo
Image courtesy of VisitMonaco.com
Created in 1879, the Opera is internationally renowned.
Some of the world's greatest composers such as Bizet or Massenet wrote several works especially for the Monte-Carlo Opera.
Great artists like Melba, Carusso, Pavarotti or Domingo sang on its stage.
Forty-five lyrical works were first produced here, among which the French version of Richard Wagner's “Tristan and Isolde” and Maurice Ravel's “The Child and the Spells”.
The Little Singers of Monaco
Another remarkable musical presence in Monaco is the ensemble of children's voices “The Little Singers of Monaco”. The choir's musical mission throughout the countries of the world started in 1973 at the behest of the Government of the Principality. The 26 boys of the choir are called by Prince Rainier III “My Little Singing Ambassadors”.
Ballet
In 1985 Princess Caroline carried out her mother's project and recreated a new company in the Principality — Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. It performs throughout the year at the Opera of Monte Carlo and in famous theaters abroad.
Theatre
The Princess Grace Theatre
It was first opened in 1936. The hall was redecorated after Princess Grace's design. The inauguration took place in 1981. The theatre is run by a committee presided by Princess Stephanie. The theater gained great popularity for its extremely varied program.
Literature
A work of reference for the culture of Monaco is the poem “The Legend of Saint Dévote” written by the poet Louis Notari (1879-1961). The poem started the revival of the Monegasque tongue rediscovering its rich vocabulary and its flavored intonations.
Monaco was the home of another famous writer, critic and poet, Antony Burgess (1917-1992). Of Irish origin, the author lived in Monaco for the latter part of his life. Among his famous works are “A Clockwork Orange”, the essay “A Homage to QWERTY”, the novel “Time for a Tiger”.
The Princess Grace Irish Library
It was founded in 1984 to honor Princess Grace's attachment to her Irish family origin, contains more than 8000 volumes — mainly works of the Literary Revival (1892-1922), first editions of contemporary writings and Princess Grace's personal collection of Irish books.
A residential bursary annually awarded to a literary writer and an academic writer was created by the Ireland Fund of Monaco.
The Princess Grace Irish Library organizes various events and conferences every year. It also edits its own series of literary works and critiques, The Princess Grace Irish Library Series.
Architecture
Civil Architecture
La Place du Casino: the style of the buildings' collective architecture stands somewhere between Napoléon III, Belle-Epoque, Art Nouveau and the '20s styles.
The Monte Carlo Casino and the Opera House were designed by Charles Garnier. His piece de résistance in Monaco is the Grand Casino (with its green copper cupolas and rococo turrets).
The atrium that leads to the Salle Garnier Opera House has quite an impact on the eye: red and gold , Ionian onyx columns, marble pavement.
The gaming rooms are very adorned: there are European rooms, private rooms, the English Club.
There are frescoes in the style of Boucher, bas-reliefs, sculptures and caryatids.
Behind the Casino, the Terasses du Soleil and Le Bar du Soleil are pleasant relaxation places.
Palais du Prince: dates around XIIIth century. It is one of Europe's most elegant castles as it is the result of the medley of many personal marks left by every Grimaldi since its foundation.
The Paris Hotel: the entrance hall is Salle Empire.
Cafe de Paris: rebuilt in 1988, Belle-Epoque ceramics, terrace, drugstore, coffee-shop, gambling room.
Sun Casino: modern architecture — American games.
The Congress Center-Auditorium: the terrace-roof has an exceptional mosaic by Victor Vasarely.
Grimaldi Forum: cultural and congress center, includes three auditoriums, the Princes Hall, the Prince Pierre Hall, the Camille-Blanc Hall, two galleries, the Espace Ravel and Espace Diaghilev, restaurants.
Sporting Club Monte Carlo: summer casino, contemporary architecture.
The Princess Grace Theater: contemporary architecture.
The Fort Antoine Theater: an open-air cultural and artistic venue. It has a central stage and gardens.
The Oceanographic Museum: built in 11 years, of stone from La Turbie, has a grandiose façade.
Sacred Architecture
Monaco Cathedral: it was built in 1875 using the stone from La Turbie that whitens in the rain; the red and blue porphyry comes from Esterel, the granite comes from the Vosges and the white marble of the Altar and the Episcopal throne is from Carrara.
The retable to the right of the transept was painted by Louis Bréa.
“The Little Singers of Monaco” and the singers of the Cathedral Choir School sing here during the mass every Sunday, from September through June.
Saint-Charles Church — 1883, French Renaissance style; 19 stained-glass windows, golden chandeliers of the old Salle d'Armes of the Princely Palace.
Chapelle de l'Annonciade
Chapelle des Carmes
Saint-Paul's Church
Media
Monaco news, entertainment and information are broadcast by five television stations of which:
- the bilingual channel Montecarlo Sat, broadcasting in Italian and French (motoring, news, music and lifestyle),
- Montecarlo TMC — a family television with magazines, TV series, children broadcasts, news,
and four radio stations in Monaco:
- Radio Monte Carlo Info — information radio broadcasting in French,
- Radio Monte Carlo — music and info in Italian,
- MC One — a music and culture radio station,
- Radio Monte-Carlo Moyen Orient was set up in 1972, is a service for the Arab world and is operated by Radio France Internationale.
There is no daily newspaper in Monaco. The French daily press covers news from this area.
- Journal de Monaco — government weekly
- Monaco Hebdo — weekly
Every year in Monte Carlo the Monte Carlo Television Festival takes place. The event was set up in 1961 by Prince Rainier.
Cuisine
The Monegasque cuisine is specifically Mediterranean. It has Italian and French Provençal influences and makes exquisite use of specific ingredients such as vegetables, seafood and fruit bringing the preparation of the ingredients at the stage of art and making the appropriate combinations for most successful gourmet results.
Museums
Oceanographic Museum
It is probably the best Aquarium in Europe. It displays a remarkable collection of marine fauna and flora — the most recent creation is a wonderful display of corals — as well as the work of late Jacques Cousteau and of other ocean explorers.
Museum of Napoleonic Souvenirs and Collection of the Palace's Historic Archives
It is housed in the South wing of the Prince's Palace, and contains a collection of objects and documents related to the First Empire — some personal things that belonged to Napoleon I (medals, coins, one sock, a handkerchief, uniforms and swords).
At the first floor there is a collection of historical documents and objects of the Principality: the Prince's Guards' uniforms, the Charter of Independence of Monaco, signed by King Louis XII of France, official Monegasque medals and foreign medals awarded to the Prince.
Museum of Stamps and Coins
It was created in 1996. Contains Prince Rainier III's private collection of Stamps and Coins — some rare philatelic items from the postal history of the Principality. There is also a display of coins, bank notes and commemorative medals of the Principality since 1640.
National Museum of Automatons and Doll of Yesteryear
Recreates in miniature the atmosphere of the XIX century by the display of Parisian ingenious automats and dolls in period costume surrounded by miniature furniture, chinaware and many other everyday items.