The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Principality of Monaco. With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des bains de mer, decided to include a concert hall as part of the casino. The main public entrance to the hall was from the casino, while Charles III’s private entrance was on the western side. It opened in 1879 and became known as the Salle Garnier, after the architect Charles Garnier, who designed it. During the renovation of the Salle Garnier in 2004–05, the company presented operas at the Salle des Princes in the local Grimaldi Forum, a modern conference and performance facility where Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform. read more…
MV Artania (previously Royal Princess and Artemis) is a cruise ship chartered since 2011 by Phoenix Reisen, a German-based travel agency and cruise ship operator. She was built for Princess Cruises by Wärtsilä at the Helsinki Shipyard, Finland, and was launched on 18 February 1984. At a ceremony in Southampton, England, on 15 November 1984, the ship was named Royal Princess by Diana, Princess of Wales. After entering service on 19 November 1984, she cruised as Royal Princess until April 2005, when she was transferred to the control of P&O Cruises, and was renamed Artemis. In 2011, she moved to Phoenix Reisen’s fleet and was renamed Artania. read more…
Monte Carlo officially refers to an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo. read more…
Fontvieille is the southernmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It was developed by an Italian architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, between the 1970s and the 1990s. In contrast to the other city districts Monaco-Ville, Monte Carlo and La Condamine, Fontvieille was constructed, after Italian engineer Gianfranco Gilardini’s design, almost entirely on artificially reclaimed land and thus represents one of the younger parts of the principality. In order to combat the chronic land shortage in the extremely densely populated principality, the work was begun in 1966 to create new land in the Mediterranean Sea southwest of le rocher. In 1981, the then Crown Prince Albert (since April 6, 2005 Albert II, Prince of Monaco) laid the cornerstone for the new city quarter. The existence of Fontvieille, and its many public works projects, relates substantially to former Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III‘s reputation as the Builder Prince. read more…
Monaco City (French: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco City is nicknamed The Rock (French: Le Rocher). The name “Monaco City” is misleading, Monaco City is a historical and statistical district, not a city. Monaco City is one of the four traditional quarters (French: quartiers) of Monaco, the others are La Condamine, Monte Carlo, and Fontvieille. read more…
La Condamine is the central Ward in Monaco. The city district is located around Port Hercule (Port de Monaco) and is surrounded itself by the districts of Monaco-Ville, Fontvieille, Jardin Exotique, Les Moneghetti, Ravin de Sainte-Dévote and Monte-Carlo. Condamine dates from the Middle Ages, and means cultivable land. read more…
Monaco is a sovereign city-state and microstate, located on the French Riviera. France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco has an area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi) and a population of about 37,800; it is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les RévoiresWard. Monaco’s most populous Quartier is Monte Carlo and the most populous Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. Through land reclamation, Monaco’s land mass has expanded by twenty percent. Monaco is known as a playground for the rich and famous. In 2014, it was noted about 30% of the population was made up of millionaires. Monaco’s mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principality’s status as a tourist destination and recreation center for the rich. In more recent years, Monaco has become a major banking center and has sought to diversify its economy into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union (EU), but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs and border controls. Through its relationship with France, Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency (prior to this it used the Monégasque franc). Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004. It is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). read more…
The Fairmont Monte Carlo is a luxury resort located in Monte Carlo managed by the Canadian-based hotel chain Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Construction of the hotel was completed in the early 1970s. The hotel was built on the spot of the first Monegasque railway station, by the real estate development company Caroli Group. As it stands today, there is still a section of the original station wall hidden in one of the hotel’s offices. read more…
