Prince's Palace - Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 43.877 E 007° 25.237
32T E 372803 N 4843239
The Prince's Palace, is the official residence of the Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II. It's located at Place du Palais at the west end of the geographical feature known as the Rock of Monaco (Rocher de Monaco).
Waymark Code: WMTZY8
Location: Monaco
Date Posted: 01/30/2017
Views: 34
The Prince's Place was built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress on a cliff side at the extreme western end of the Rock of Monaco. It protected Monaco from approach from the north and west. It was captured by Francesco (François) Grimaldi in 1297 and it has been the home of the Grimaldi family ever since the seat of the Prince of Monaco was established on the Rocher de Monaco. In December 1506, 14,000 Genoese troops besieged the castle of Monaco. The position was defended for five months by 1,500 Monégasques and mercenaries before achieving victory in March 1507. During the reign of Honoré I (1523–1581) the fortress began being transformed into a palace.
Having been expanded over the intervening centuries, the Palace exhibits a variety of a architectural styles from Medieval Gothic to to 16th century Renaissance to 18th century Baroque. The medieval fortifications at the rear of the palace retain their original appearance. The Baroque entrance to the palace was designed for Louis I in the late 17th century. In the 19th century Charles III rebuilt St. Mary's Tower on the north side of the Palace, resemble a medieval fortress. The east side was inspired by Renaissance architecture. The principal façade appears as a terrace of Renaissance style palace.