Monaco · 800th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the first fortification on the rock

The “Rock of Monaco (Felsen von Monaco)” is a coastal promontory that drops steeply towards the Mediterranean and overlooks the port of Monaco. Its location enabled control of the sea route along the Ligurian coast while also providing a readily defensible site. In the Middle Ages, the area lay within the sphere of influence of Genoa, whose politics were shaped by conflicts between the pro-imperial Ghibellines and the pro-papal Guelphs.

Construction of the fortification was begun by a group of Genoese Ghibellines under the leadership of Fulco del Cassellos. A fortified settlement grew up around the military base. The complex thus formed a starting point for the permanent settlement of the Rock and for Monaco’s later political development.

The rise of the Grimaldi family is closely linked to the fortress. Francesco Grimaldi, a member of a Guelph Genoese family, captured it with his followers in 1297. According to tradition, he gained access disguised as a Franciscan friar and then let in his armed companions. The two sword-bearing monks in Monaco’s coat of arms refer to this story. The rule of the Grimaldi was not initially uninterrupted; since the early 15th century, however, Monaco has remained permanently under their control.

Over the centuries, the medieval fortification developed into the present-day Prince’s Palace (Fürstenpalast). Conversions transformed parts of the fortress into a residence, while older defensive elements were preserved or incorporated into the later complex. The palace remains the seat of the Prince and is located in the historic government district of Monaco-Ville.

The anniversary therefore refers not only to a single construction project. The fortification represents the creation of a permanently controlled seat of power on the Rock, from which the present-day Principality developed. This constitutes the political and dynastic significance of the coin’s occasion.