Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, 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/Spélugues 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. Monte Carlo is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the

Maritime Alps The Maritime Alps ( ; ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the regions of France, French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the regions of Italy, Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria ...

along the French Riviera. Near the quarter's western end is the "world-famous Place du Casino, the

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

center ... that has made Monte Carlo an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth". It is also the location of the

Hôtel de Paris The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is a luxury hotel that is located at Place du Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was opened in 1864 as part of the development of Monaco by the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco, Société des Bains de Mer. In M ...

, Café de Paris and Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo). The quarter's eastern part includes the community of Larvotto with Monaco's only public beach, as well as its new convention center (the Grimaldi Forum), and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. At the quarter's eastern border, one crosses into the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur), and to its east is the western border of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

In 1856, Charles III of Monaco granted a concession to Napoleon Langlois and Albert Aubert, to establish a sea-bathing facility for the treatment of various diseases, and to build a German-style casino. Eglise st charles Monaco b

The initial casino opened in La Condamine in 1862, but was unsuccessful. It relocated several times, before reaching its present location in the "Les Spélugues" (The Caves) area of Monte Carlo. Success came slowly, largely because Monaco was inaccessible from much of Europe. The railway, installed in 1868, brought with it an influx of people, and Monte Carlo grew in wealth. Saint-Charles Church on Monte Carlo's Avenue Sainte-Charles was completed in 1883. It was restored in its centenary year. The municipality of Monte Carlo was created in 1911, when the constitution divided the principality of Monaco into three municipalities. Monte Carlo encompassed the existing neighborhoods of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The municipalities merged in 1917, after accusations that the government used them to "divide and conquer". Since then, they became wards. Today, Monaco is divided into 9 wards, which are grouped into 4 quartiers. The quarter of Monte Carlo was served by tramways from 1898 to 1931. It linked all parts of

( see transportation in Monaco). In 2003 a new cruise ship pier was completed in the harbour at Monte Carlo.

Geography

Monte Carlo has an area of 28.14 hectares (0.28 square kilometers or 69.19

acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...

) and faces the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

, bordered to the west by Ravin de Sainte-Dévote and La Condamine, and to the east by La Rousse and Larvotto.

Climate

Monte Carlo has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: Csa), which is influenced by

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

and

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

. As a result, it has warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

Sport

Monte Carlo is home to an ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament during the clay court season usually played during the end of March through mid to late April. Monte Carlo is a popular tax haven for many tennis professionals and home to many active and retired athletes. Monte Carlo is host to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

Monaco Grand Prix takes place. It also hosts world championship

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

bouts, the European Poker Tour Grand Final and the World Backgammon Championship as well as the Monaco International Auto Show (Fr: Salon International de l'Automobile de Monaco), fashion shows and other events. Although the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament is billed as taking place in the community, its actual location is in the adjacent French commune of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The

Monte Carlo Rally The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. From its inception in 1911 by Albert I, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert I, the rally ...

is one of the longest running and most respected car rallies; from 1973 to 2008 and again from 2012, it marks the start of

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...

season, having also served as the curtain-raiser for the

Intercontinental Rally Challenge The Intercontinental Rally Challenge was an Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-sanctioned rallying series organised by SRW Events and Eurosport, Eurosport Events, and aimed to "give new opportunities to young or amateur rally drivers ...

between 2009 and 2011. The rally, however, takes place outside the Monte Carlo quarter and is run mostly on French roads.

Tourism

Monte Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as the public and movie stars for decades. Monte Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist resorts, although many of the key tourist destinations are in other parts of Monaco, including such attractions as Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and the Prince's Palace, all of which are in Monaco-Ville.

Salle Garnier

The Opéra de Monte-Carlo or Salle Garnier was built to designs of the architect Charles Garnier, who also designed the Paris opera house now known as the

Palais Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the ...

. Although much smaller, the Salle Garnier is very similar in style with decorations in red and gold, and frescoes and sculptures all around the auditorium. It was inaugurated on 25 January 1879 with a performance by

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

dressed as a nymph. The first opera performed there was Robert Planquette's '' Le Chevalier Gaston'' on 8 February 1879, and that was followed by three more in the first season. Other famous twentieth-century singers to appear at Monte Carlo included Titta Ruffo, Geraldine Farrar, Mary Garden, Tito Schipa, Beniamino Gigli, Claudia Muzio, Georges Thill, and Lily Pons.

Hôtel de Paris

The Hôtel de Paris, established in 1864 by Charles III of Monaco, is located on the west side of the Place du Casino in the heart of Monte Carlo. It belongs to the Société des bains de mer de Monaco (SBM), and is part of the elite Palace Grand Hotels in Monaco with the Hotel Hermitage, the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the Hotel Metropole and Fairmont hotel. The hotel has 106 rooms divided into four groups based on type of view, decoration and luxury. The Exclusive City View offers 20 rooms, the Superior Courtyard has 29 large rooms, the Exclusive Sea View 59 and the Exclusive Casino has six. Additionally, there are 74 suites and junior suites which are grouped similarly, offering more luxury than the rooms. There are single and double suites as well as courtyard junior suites and Sea/Casino Junior suites. There is also one Presidential suite. In October 2014, a renovation project began, to create a garden courtyard, add a new spa, fitness and pool area, exceptional suites, and a “rooftop villa” with a private garden and pool.

Cultural depictions

Monte Carlo has been the setting of many films, books, television shows, and video games.

Films

* '' Foolish Wives'' (1922), although it was filmed in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. * ''

Rebecca Rebecca () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical tradition, Rebecca's father was Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, also called Aram-Naharaim. Rebecca's brother was Laban (Bi ...

'' (1940), an

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

film with Monte Carlo and its famous casino as the setting, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. * '' To Catch a Thief'' (1954), an

film with Monte Carlo and its famous casino as the setting, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, the future Princess Grace of Monaco. * '' Grand Prix'' (1966), starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, and Yves Montand. * '' Monte Carlo or Bust!'' (1969) also known by its American title, ''Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies'' starring Tony Curtis & Terry Thomas. * '' Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo'' (1977) starring Dean Jones &

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

. * The

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films '' Never Say Never Again'' (1983), and '' GoldenEye'' (1995) feature the Monte Carlo Casino. * '' Once Upon a Crime'' (1992) The plot revolves around a series of couples in Monte Carlo, Monaco. * '' I Spy'' (2002) * '' Iron Man 2'' (2010) features the Monaco Grand Prix. * ''

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

'' (2011) * The DreamWorks film, '' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'' (2012), features the Monte Carlo Casino. * ''A Ghost in Monte Carlo'' (1990), a Barbara Cartland TV movie starring Christopher Plummer, Oliver Reed, Lysette Anthony. * ''

'' (2020), a

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

production with Lily James, Armie Hammer and Kristin Scott Thomas as main characters.

Literature

* Monte Carlo is featured in Edith Wharton's novel '' The House of Mirth'' (1905) as a backdrop for the leisure activities of New York's upper class in the early 20th century. * The first few chapters of the Gothic novel ''Rebecca'' (1938) are set in Monte Carlo.

Music

* The 1891

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

song " The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo", written by Fred Gilbert about a real life English trickster in Monte Carlo and popularised in 1892 by singer and comedian Charles Coborn. * The Prince and Princess of Monte Carlo are characters in the Savoy opera '' The Grand Duke'' (1896) by Gilbert and Sullivan. * ''

'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with a book by Sidney Carlton, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Harry Greenbank first performed in 1896. * ''La Dame de Monte Carlo'' is a monologue for soprano and orchestra composed by Francis Poulenc in 1961 based on a poem from

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

’s ''Théâtre de poche''. * "Monte Carlo Nights" is a song by Grover Washington Jr composed in 2001. * "Goin' Down To Monte Carlo" is a song by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

composed in 2012.

Television

* The television series "I Love Lucy" had an episode set in Monte Carlo in 1956, Season 5, episode 25 "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo". * In the British private detective series, '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', the eleventh episode, " The Ghost who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo" (1969), is set in Monte Carlo. * '' The Bold and the Beautiful'' series (1987–) featured a number of episodes filmed on location in the city in 2016 and 2017. It is the location for the annual Spencer Summit.

Video games

* The '' Gran Turismo'' series often features the Circuit de Monaco, albeit credited as "Côte d'Azur" and marked as being in France. * The indie game '' Monaco: What's Yours is Mine'' *The 1992 point-and-click game '' Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis'' * Various Formula One video games features the historic Circuit de Monaco. * The ''Colin McRae Rally'' and ''DiRT'' series, as well as the ''

'' series, feature Monte Carlo as rally stages. * '' James Bond 007: Blood Stone'' features a level set in Monte Carlo. Monaco pano b

Twin cities

Monaco's twin cities are:

People

* Alex Albon (Formula One driver) * Victoria Azarenka (tennis player) * Bono (singer) * Björn Borg (former tennis player) * Jenson Button (former Formula One driver) * Loris Capirossi (former MotoGP rider) * Jolanda Čeplak (former athlete) *

Marin Čilić Marin Čilić (; born 28 September 1988) is a Croatian professional tennis player. He has been ranked world No. 3 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), achieved on 28 January 2018. Čilić has won 21 ATP Tour-level si ...

(tennis player) * David Coulthard (former Formula One driver) * Julian Cochran (classical composer) * Grigor Dimitrov (tennis player) * Novak Djokovic (tennis player) * Richard Dunne (former professional footballer) * Mohamed Al-Fayed (ex-Harrods owner) * Giancarlo Fisichella (former Formula One driver) * Matthew Goss (professional cyclist) * Philip Green (businessman) * Stelios Haji-Ioannou (businessman) *

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

(Formula One driver) *

Daniela Hantuchová Daniela Hantuchová (; born 23 April 1983) is a Slovak tennis commentator and retired player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first WTA Tour title at the Indian Wells Open, defeating Martin ...

(former tennis player) * Justin Hayward (singer with the Moody Blues) * Justine Henin (former tennis player) * Markus Hipfl (former tennis player) * Dominik Hrbatý (former tennis player) * Hubert Hurkacz (tennis player) * Thor Hushovd (cyclist) * Eddie Jordan (former Formula One team owner) * Robert Kubica (former Formula One driver) * Karol Kučera (former tennis player) * Petra Kvitová (tennis player) * Charles Leclerc (Formula One driver) * Gina Lollobrigida (actress) * Felipe Massa (former Formula One driver) * John McLaughlin, guitar player * Andriy Medvedev (former tennis player) * Daniil Medvedev (tennis player) * Gian Carlo Menotti (classical composer) * Andreas Mikkelsen (WRC driver) * Thierry Neuville (WRC driver) * Helmut Newton (photographer) * Lando Norris (

driver) *

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

(musician) * Stefano Pessina (businessman) * Paula Radcliffe (athlete) * Milos Raonic (tennis player) * Jean-Raymond Boulle (businessman) * Daniel Ricciardo (former Formula One driver) * Cristiano Ronaldo (footballer) * Keke Rosberg (former Formula One driver) * Nico Rosberg (former Formula One driver) * Marc Rosset (former tennis player) * Lucie Šafářová (tennis player) * Marat Safin (former tennis player) * Ayrton Senna (

driver) * David Shilling (milliner) * Matteo Berrettini (tennis player) * Jannik Sinner (tennis player) *

Robin Söderling Robin Bo Carl Söderling (; born 14 August 1984) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 4 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in November 2010. Söderling won ten singles titles on th ...

(tennis player) *

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

(drummer with

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

) * Bernard Tomic (tennis player) * Edwina Tops-Alexander (equestrian rider) * Stoffel Vandoorne (former

driver) * Max Verstappen (

driver) * Yanina Wickmayer (tennis player) * Jeff Wooller (accountant) * Caroline Wozniacki (tennis player) * Alexander Zverev (tennis player) * Mischa Zverev (former tennis player)

Gallery

File:Monte-Carlo at night from the pier - panoramio b.jpg, Monte-Carlo at night from the pier File:Casino Monte Carlo.JPG, Place du Casino, Monte Carlo File:MONACO, HOTEL DE PARIS, JULY 2013. - panoramio (1).jpg, Hotel de Paris, Monaco File:Monte Carlo (94683240).jpg, Interior of Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo File:Amontecarlo IMG 8173 6DS3.jpg, Buildings File:Monaco Monte Carlo 1 b.jpg, Monte Carlo

Notes

References

External links

Monte Carlo

Monaco Portal
{{Authority control Quarters of Monaco Cities in Monaco France–Monaco border crossings