Prince Albert II welcomed 12 former Grimaldi family fiefdoms

The 5th Grimaldi Historic Sites gathering took place at the weekend on the square in front of the Prince’s Palace.

On Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June 2024, former French and Italian fiefdoms, all united by a shared history with Prince Albert II’s ancesetors, ‘set up shop’ on the Place du Palais Princier for the 5th edition of the Grimaldi Historic Sites gatherings.

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Among the guest was Denis Deroux, the Mayor of Bathernay in the Drôme who came to represent his village. “Each of the fiefdoms here has its own history, and we are gathered here today as members of a beautiful family, the family of the Historic Sites,” he told Monaco-Info.

A festive atmosphere

Other municipalities, such as Breil-sur-Roya, Airole, Olivetta, Spinazzola, Ripacandida, Campagna, and Poggiorsini also shared their cultural, crafts, culinary and musical heritage with Prince Albert II. The Sovereign discovered local produce, works of art and traditional crafts as he wandered among the different stands.

After a variety of activities and entertainment, Saturday ended on a high note with a “Sound and Light” show watched by several hundred spectators, projected on to the walls of the Prince’s Palace. On Sunday there was a concert by the Liceo Musicale orchestra from the IIS Teresa Confalonieri in Campagna, a theatrical performance by the Tangallegria troupe from Bathernay and tricks by magician Romain Fouques.

The latest gathering was a celebration of the ties that bind the historic sites of the Grimaldi dynasty and a way of keeping them alive. With that aim in mind, Prince Albert II regularly visits his ancestors’ French and Italian lands.