History of Monaco throws light on rich past of the country. Monaco has a colorful history filled with barbarians and kings. It reflects the story of fine castles, great epic battles and untold riches. The History of Monaco state that in the past the country was ruled by many rulers and kings. It was finally because of the unrest of the local folks that Monaco gained its independence.
According to the historians, the early history of Monaco is primarily concerned with Rock of Monaco. The Rock acted as a shelter for the pre-historic civilizations in Monaco. The first permanent settlers in the area were the mountains dwelling Ligures who came to this place from Italy.
Monaco derives its name from the Greek colony, “Monoikos” that is located close to it and was founded by Phoceans in the 6th century BCE. Some people believe that Hercules crossed Monaco during this time and built the temple of Hercules Monoikos.
Earlier Monaco History state that Monaco remained under the control of the Romans till the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476. After the Romans, the area came under the control of the Saracens and the Barbarian tribes.
Following a land grant from Emperor Henry VI in the year 1191, Monaco was re-founded in 1228 as a colony of Genoa. Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297, when Francois Grimaldi and his soldiers captured the fortress protecting the famous Rock of Monaco.
In 1789, Monaco came to be governed by the French, who remained in power till 17th of May, 1814. The Congress of Vienna designated Monaco as a territory of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1815 until 1860, when the Treaty of Turin ceded to France the surrounding county of Nice as well as Savoy to the region.
At this time, there was much unrest in the towns of Menton and Roquebrune, which declared independence, hoping for seizure by Sardinia. The unrest continued until the ruling Prince gave up his claim to the 2 towns to France in return for 4 million francs. Finally in Monaco gained its sovereignty with the signing of the 1861 Franco-Monegasque Treaty.
Until the 1911 Constitution, the Princes of Monaco were the absolute rulers. In 1943, the Italian army invaded and occupied Monaco, setting up a Fascist rule. Shortly thereafter, following Mussolini’s collapse in Italy, the Nazi German occupied Monaco. Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco acceded to the throne in 1949. A new Constitution was prepared adding some new features and finally on 12 July 2005, Prince Albert II became the king.
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