The
Rock of Monaco is a 141 meter (459 foot) tall
monolithA monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco.
The Rock has been a coveted possession from the beginning of the ancient Massilian colony of Monoïkos (Greek: Μόνοικος), named for the
LigurianLigurian may mean:* Pertaining to the ancient Ligures* Pertaining to modern Liguria* The Romance Ligurian language* The extinct Ligurian language spoken by the ancient Ligures* The Ligurian Sea* The Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary...
tribes who occupied the area and vied for control of it; even earlier, it was a shelter for primitive populations.
Discussion
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The
Rock of Monaco is a 141 meter (459 foot) tall
monolithA monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco.
History
The Rock has been a coveted possession from the beginning of the ancient Massilian colony of Monoïkos (Greek: Μόνοικος), named for the
LigurianLigurian may mean:* Pertaining to the ancient Ligures* Pertaining to modern Liguria* The Romance Ligurian language* The extinct Ligurian language spoken by the ancient Ligures* The Ligurian Sea* The Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary...
tribes who occupied the area and vied for control of it; even earlier, it was a shelter for primitive populations. The Rock of
MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
was also the first conquest of the Grimaldi dynasty, the rulers of the country for more than 700 years, founded when the Guelf
François GrimaldiFrancesco Grimaldi called il Malizia , was the Genoese leader of the Guelphs who captured the Rock of Monaco on the night of January 8, 1297...
disguised himself as a Franciscan monk in order to gain entry to the city and open the gates for his soldiers.
Today
Today, the Rock is in the oldest of Monaco's four quarters,
Monaco-VilleMonaco-Ville is the original fortified town of Monaco and is one of Monaco's administrative areas, sometimes erroneously believed to be a town or the country's capital, just as Monte Carlo...
, which is also the location of Old Town, the oldest part of the city. This is not far from the
Prince's PalaceThe Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Prince of Monaco. Founded in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the...
, home of the current
monarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
,
Albert IIAlbert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his princess consort, Grace Kelly...
and the
princely familyThe Monegasque Princely Family consists of the extended family of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Currently all the family descend from Louis II of Monaco. The family has become well known worldwide as a result of Prince Rainier's marriage to American film star Grace Kelly...
, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. The Rock of Monaco is a popular tourist attraction to go see the palace or the changing of the guards.