| History of Monaco | |
|---|---|
This article is part of a series |
|
| Rock of Monaco | |
| House of Grimaldi (List of rulers) |
|
| Franco-Monegasque Treaty | |
|
|
The Rock of Monaco (French: Rocher de Monaco) is a 141 meter (459 foot) tall monolith on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco.
The Rock has been a coveted possession from the beginning of the ancient Massilian colony of Monoïkos (Greek: Μόνοικος), named for the Ligurian tribes who occupied the area and vied for control of it; even earlier, it was a shelter for primitive populations. The Rock of Monaco was also the first conquest of the Grimaldi dynasty, the rulers of the country for more than 700 years, founded when the Guelf Francesco Grimaldi disguised himself as a Franciscan monk in order to gain entry to the city and open the gates for his soldiers.
Today, the Rock is in the oldest of Monaco's four quarters, Monaco-Ville, which is also the location of Old Town, the oldest part of the city. This is not far from the Prince's Palace (French: Le Palais Princier), home of the current monarch, Albert II and the princely family, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. The Rock of Monaco is a popular tourist attraction to go see the palace or the changing of the guards.