Cultural Figures

Alain Ducasse

Alain Ducasse

A now naturalised Monégasque citizen, the French-born chef is the most distinguished chef in the Principality, if not France. He is the first person to ever hold three Michelin stars in three different establishments. The three-star status of his Monaco […]

  • Chef
  • 13 September 1956
  • France

Bono

Bono

If you take a train from Nice to Monaco, you can see his villa bought for 3 million euros. The mansion is located not far from Èze. You can also meet the Irish musician in Monaco, as he is a […]

  • Singer
  • 1960
  • Ireland

Daniele Thompson

Daniele Thompson

Madame Thompson, who was born in Monaco (1942) in the creative family of Gérard Oury and Jacqueline Roman, tried herself in different roles — from writer to film director. Almost immediately after her birth, the family had left the Principality. […]

  • Scriptwriter, director
  • 3 January 1942
  • Monaco

Didier Marouani

Didier Marouani

Didier was born in Monaco in 1953. Having received his first prize at the Conservatory of Monaco at the age of 15, he went to Paris. His career began when he was 17 years old and he composed for French […]

  • Musician
  • 14 July 1953
  • Monaco

Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero

Having settled in Monaco, Fernando did not stop travelling. The 87-year-old artist is a true living legend in the art world. Botero, who is also called the «artist of fat ladies», lives between the Principality and several other cities where […]

  • Artist, sculptor
  • 1933

Jean-Christophe Maillot

Jean-Christophe Maillot

Jean-Christophe Maillot was born in the French city of Tours, but didn’t stay there for long. He studied dance and piano at a very young age at the Tours Conservatory directed by Alain Davesne. He was awarded the Prix de […]

  • Choreographer
  • 31 August 1960
  • France

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme, born Jean-Claude Van Varenberg in 1960 in the Brussels suburbs of Belgium, is a Belgian actor, director, film producer and martial arts practitioner. He has been practising martial arts since he was ten years old and was […]

  • Actor
  • 18 October 1960
  • Belgium

Kees Verkade

Kees Verkade

Kees is a Dutch sculptor whose work can be seen in the Principality. He created the statue of Princess Grace, which is now in the Rose Garden of Fontvieille. Born in 1941, he dreamed at a very young age of […]

  • Sculptor
  • 12 October 1941
  • The Netherlands

Lisa Selesner

Lisa Selesner

Lisa, who was born in Monaco, did not stay long in the Principality. Together with her family she moved to the United States, her mother’s country. She grew up in New York and was spotted to become a model at […]

  • Model, actress
  • 26 May 1978
  • Monaco

Lukas Avalon

Lukas Avalon

Lukas Avalon is a Monaco-based young urban artist. Using a fast painting style, Lukas captures essential elements of street art bringing them onto canvas. Inspired by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, his works pay tribute to the most prominent personalities […]

  • Artist

Marc Giacone

Marc Giacone

Marc was born in Monaco in 1954. The composer belongs to a new generation of musicians who can combine various forms of musical expression, including jazz, folklore and various sound effects, etc. He completed his musical studies at the Prince […]

  • Composer
  • 5 March 1954
  • Monaco

Matéo Mornar

Matéo Mornar

Matéo is a French sculptor of Croatian origin. Today he lives and works in Monaco. In the 80s, the sculptor met the Princely family of Monaco. Prince Rainier III praised the work of Matéo, regularly visiting the exhibitions of the […]

  • Sculptor
  • 20 December 1946
  • Croatia

Maxim Vengerov

Maxim Vengerov

The violinist and conductor has lived here for more than 5 years and in one of his interviews he revealed that it was convenient and practical to live in the Principality, both for his wife Olga and for their two […]

  • Violinist, conductor
  • 20 August 1974
  • Russia

Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti was born in 1955 in Rome. An Italian actress, she was voted “Most beautiful woman in the world” by the readers of Class magazine. After achieving her dream of becoming a dancer, Ornella became a model at the […]

  • Actress
  • 9 March 1955
  • Italy

Philippe Pastor

Philippe Pastor

The artist works between Monaco and Spain, he also comes from one of the richest families in the Principality and is the son of Victor Pastor, a businessman in real estate.

  • Painter, sculptor
  • Monaco

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr

Drummer Sir Richard Starkey needs no introduction. He joined the Beatles in 1962, two years after the group’s creation. After the band separated in 1970, he released several successful singles as a solo artist and a total of 20 studio […]

  • Musician
  • 7 July 1940
  • United Kingdom

Ruggero Raimondi

Ruggero Raimondi

Ruggero Raimondi, famous for his impressive voice, lives in Monaco. The famous Don Juan became a Monégasque under Prince Albert II. He received the Legion of Honour in Paris. He learned to play the piano at the age of seven […]

  • Opera singer, actor
  • 3 October 1941
  • Italy

Shani Diluka

Shani Diluka

cThe young girl showed extraordinary talent on the piano and her hard work paid off. At the age of 9, she gave her first recital and at 12 she opened for Hélène Grimaud in Nice. At the age of six, […]

  • Pianist
  • 7 November 1976
  • Monaco

Shirley Bassey

Shirley Bassey

Bassey is a singer and performer of Welsh origin whose career spans more than six decades. She grew up in the poor Tiger Bay area of Cardiff in Wales and left school at the age of 14. She then started […]

  • Singer
  • 8 January 1937
  • United Kingdom

Wladimir Yordanoff

Wladimir Yordanoff

Wladimir is a French actor of Bulgarian origin, born in Monaco in 1954. The future actor went to Paris, where he studied at the Higher National Conservatory of Dramatic Art.

  • Actor
  • 1954
  • Monaco