Monaco: 2 sq.km of sovereignty (12/01/03)
Last updated 12/03/03
A country that is synonymous with opulence: large yachts, high rollers
at the Monte Carlo casino, exotic sportscars at the Grand Prix races
and expensive beach-front property are just a few of the thoughts that
come to mind at the mere mention of the word "Monaco". For a place with
such grandeur and mystique, the Principauté
of
Monaco (Principality of Monaco), a soverign state, is diminuitive in
size: it has only 5000 citizens, while boasting a population of 30000
in an area that covers only 1.95 square kilometers. That's right, the
whole "country" is only 1.95 sq. km in size. In fact the are is so
small that one of the streets (Blvd de France) actually extends into
French territory, and folks on the east end of the street wishing to
talk to their friends or relatives on the west end must make an
international phone call. However, for a place with so little land, the
spotless streets which wind their way through the steep hills which
form this country can make it seem quite immense in size, and walking
around town can leave you literally breathless.
The principality has been
ruled by the Grimaldi family since 1297, when Francesco Grimaldi gained
control of Palais Princier (a fortress at the top of one of the hills
in Monaco) through trickery (a fact proudly pointed out by a plaque
next to a statue of this cunning founder of the Monaco dynasty). The
Monaco monarchy, currently represented by Prince Rainier III, differs
from that of other states which retain vestages of their monarchy in
that they serve as more than mere figureheads and actually have
extensive constitutional powers.
Among the sites we visited during our trip was the Cathédrale de
Monaco. This 19th century
cathedral serves as the
burial grounds for the
members of the royal family, and even has a spot lined up for Prince
Rainer III. I'm sure he probably visits the cathedral for public
ceremonies, so you figure that it must be pretty
eerie for him to have to look at the spot where he's going to be
buried. Another interesting thing about the cathedral is that it houses
the grave of Grace Kelly (famous Hollywood actress), who married Prince
Rainier III in 1956, but died in a car crash in 1982. When we visited
the cathedral, her grave was the only one that was lined with several
bouquets of fresh flowers -- a testament to the adoration of her
visiting fans.
We spent most of our
time in Monaco wandering the narrow, steep and absolutely spotless
streets of Monaco (I saw plenty of city workers regularly cleaning the
streets, including one hapless guy who had the job of sweeping away
leaves which were actively falling from nearby trees). We got a
first-hand view of the yachts (yup they are pretty darn impressive),
some sports cars (during a traffic jam I noticed a brand new Lotus,
which was a couple of cars ahead of a Porche 911 turbo), and the
glamorous looking Monte Carlo casino (everybody going in was dressed in
3 piece suits, so we didn't even bother trying to get in). So if you
don't have money for those fancy yachts or sportscars, and can't keep
up with the high-rollers at Monte Carlo, you can always walk around and
soak in the culture -- at least that's free!
Pictures
Landscapes of
Monaco: hills and sea
The ascent from
Place D'Armes to the Palais Princier
Palais Princier
Home to the ruling dynasty of Monaco for over 700 years
Monte Carlo, a district of Monaco
Landscapes of
Monaco: hills and sea
The ascent from
Place D'Armes to the Palais Princier
Palais Princier
Home to the ruling dynasty of Monaco for over 700 years
Monte Carlo, a district of Monaco