Monaco, the miniature country

Monaco is the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican. Today, it features modern skyscrapers, F1 racetracks, luxury yachts, villas, etc. The most not to be missed are the Oceanographic Museum founded by Prince Albert I of Monaco and the Saint Martin Flower Garden on the right. Albert I devoted much of his life to scientific projects such as oceanography and exploration, producing many oceanographic studies, including maps and charts, in his submarines in the company of some of the world's leading oceanographers. In 1896, during his marine research on the Azov Islands, he discovered the "Princess Alice Bank", an underwater mountain range with rich biological diversity. In particular, because the water is particularly clear, this ocean world can be seen from sea level. What tourists talk about most today may be the story of Rainier III and his wife Princess Grace. Grace was listed as one of the 25 greatest female stars in classic Hollywood films by the 13th American Film Institute. She married Rainier III in April 1956 and became the Princess of Monaco. Grace Kelly and Rainier III had three children. After marriage, she focused on raising her children and doing charity work for the United Nations. Unfortunately, she died of a stroke in a car accident on September 14, 1982. After Grace's death, the prince refused to remarry and established the Princess Grace Foundation that same year to support emerging American artists. Compared with its colorful modern history, Monaco is actually a pocket-sized country with a very long history, which can be traced back to the 6th century BC. The Greco-Walkers had established settlements here. Later, it was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire. In 1191, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI granted Monaco to the Genoese, and in 1215 Genoa re-established settlements here. A must-visit place, the Prince's Palace of Monaco, is the historical origin of the current rulers, the Grimaldi family in Monaco. On January 8, 1297, François Grimaldi, a member of the Genoese royal family and aristocrat, used a strategy to occupy the Prince's Palace of Monaco on January 8, 1297. Although he was expelled from the country by the Genoese army just four years later, he was the first person in the Grimaldi family to try to rule Monaco. In 1309, François Grimaldi's cousin, Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes, succeeded to the rule of Monaco, but the Grimaldi family and Genoa continued to fight for Monaco for a century. It was not until the late 14th century that the Republic of Genoa was defeated and Monaco was incorporated into the Kingdom of Aragon. In 1419, the Grimaldi family purchased Monaco from the Kingdom of Aragon and became the undisputed rulers of Monaco. In 1630, Prince Aureliano II of Monaco accepted French protection and became its vassal, but maintained the monarchy of a sovereign state until the French Revolution. In 1793, the revolutionary army occupied Monaco, and in 1814 it was occupied by the French army and restored to the rule of the Grimaldi family. From 1815 to 1860, it was under the protection of the Kingdom of Sardinia. During this period, Menton, France, which borders Italy today, and Logebrune-Cap-Martin between Menton and Monaco were incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia because they could not bear the heavy tax demands of the Grimaldi family. In the face of French opposition, they were eventually ceded to France by the Grimaldi family for 4.1 million francs. This part accounted for 95% of Monaco's land area at the time. After the signing of the Treaty of Turin in 1860, Monaco once again became a French protectorate. The Franco-Monegasque Treaty signed in 1861 recognizes Monaco's sovereignty to this day. Today, Monaco is still ruled by descendants of Rainier I, cousin of pioneer François Grimaldi. #history #Europe #European travel #European travel #sea view #Monaco #France #Italy #Genoa #yacht #good place to ride a submarine #Mediterranean Sea