A History
Francois Grimaldi Statue
On January 8, 1297, cunning ancestor Francois Grimaldi disguised himself as a Franciscan monk, sneaking into Monaco’s fortress – now the Prince’s Palace – and overtaking the guards. Grimaldi seized both the fortress and the port of Hercules which was situated right on the Mediterranean. Thus began the 700-year reign of the infamous family in Monaco.
Grimaldi was medieval nobility who boasted both a French and Italian bloodline. For the most part, his family were loyal to their overlords, many of whom the Grimaldis owed their survival. Whenever trouble came rolling through, it was a different matter: the family had no qualms about switching sides when it suited them. They were certainly no strangers to the term “kill or be killed”, and supported whoever was on the winning side of a battle.
Two hundred years after Francois Grimaldi’s takeover, letters patent were written on February 10th, 1512 to establish Monaco’s independence from France. Though Monaco was now independent, the responsibility for its protection bounced between France, Spain, and Italy.
The annexation of the fortress and port by Francois Grimaldi was not the only notorious deed within the dynasty. According to one 13th century legend, Prince Rainier I kidnapped and raped an innocent girl. The girl became a witch in order to exact her revenge upon the Prince, and she cursed him and his family for generations to come: “Never will a Grimaldi find true happiness in marriage”.
In 1997, the Principality of Monaco celebrated the 700 year reign of the Grimaldi dynasty.