What is planned on Le Rocher in 2023?
Rendez-vous on Friday 7 July at 6.30pm on the Rocher for the start of U Sciaratu.©Mairie de Monaco
We take a look at the events that will take place on the Rock this year, in addition to the arrival of new businesses.
2023 will be a busy year for Le Rocher and Monaco-Ville. Special events are planned and several newcomers are expected to join the sixty or so established businesses.
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The centenary of the birth of Prince Rainier III
Monaco will pay tribute to Prince Rainier III. Celebrations of the centenary of his birth will begin on 31 May 2023 with an exceptional party on the Rock. In total, the celebrations will continue in the Principality for 8 months, up until January 2024. A unique commemoration committee, chaired by Prince Albert II and managed by Princess Stephanie, will organise the various events.
On 31 May, all Monaco residents are invited to head to Le Rocher. “Not just the Place du Palais but throughout Monaco-Ville,” Alexandra Rinaldi, president of the Association des Commerçants du Rocher (shopkeepers’ association), informs us. “All shops and restaurants will be open from 2pm to 11pm. (…) There will be a lot of entertainment, for adults and children alike,” adds the manager of Les 5 Saveurs, who has already ordered the commemoration bunting that the Le Rocher shops will display on the day. Don’t miss it!
Grimaldi Historic Sites Forum
The event will take place on 10 and 11 June 2023. Last year, the third edition of the Rencontres des Sites historiques Grimaldi (Grimaldi Historic Sites forum) featured three departments and 14 municipalities. They all set up their stalls, presenting local specialities, culinary workshops and exhibitions of jewellery and decorations. Musical and dance performances were also organised. A weekend with a unique atmosphere on the Place du Palais.
The fourth Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco Forum will once again welcome former “fiefdoms” of the Grimaldi Dynasty. Invited this year are: the Haut-Rhin with the towns of Issenheim, Altkirch Thann and Ferrette, the Essonne with the towns of Longjumeau, Chilly-Mazarin and Massy, the Lot-et-Garonne with Duras, the Pyrénées-Orientales with Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste, the Centre-Ouest with Parthenay, as well as certain towns in the Alpes-Maritimes such as Grasse and Ile Saint-Honorat, and Haute-Corse with Lucciana.
Monegasque Carnival
In summer, the Rock hosts a carnival, the U Sciaratu. From the Monegasque word for “uproar, commotion”, U Sciaratu featured a carnival king on a float. The festival was moved to the summer so that residents and visitors could take part together. The event disappeared in the 1990s, but Monaco Town Hall started organising it again about 10 years ago.
This year, U Sciaratu will be held on 7 July. “There is a change to the format , there won’t be a float this year but we will have a parade through the streets of Monaco-Ville. We would like to introduce some new features which we are still working on,” the events department at the Town Hall told us when we contacted them. One thing is certain, there will be a DJ at around 10 pm, as normal.
Newcomers to the Rock
Monaco-Ville, which has more than 60 retailers, will welcome some new names. In particular, a swimwear store and another that specialises in interior decoration. “We are also expecting a market gardener and a florist,” says Alexandra Rinaldi. The president of the shopkeepers’ association is delighted with these new arrivals. These, in addition to the different events, help to maintain the attractiveness of the Rocher, which the shopkeepers want to develop. Not with the tourists in mind, but rather for the inhabitants of Monaco.
This concludes our series of articles on Le Rocher. Do you go to Monaco-Ville often? What would improve Le Rocher’s attractiveness in your opinion?
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