Prince Albert II visits Saint-Paul-de-Vence and La Colle-sur-Loup
© Mairie de Saint-Paul de Vence
Prince Albert II visited two French municipalities on Tuesday 15 July to celebrate their ancestral ties with the Grimaldi family.
The Sovereign accepted an invitation to pay an official visit from the mayors of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and La Colle-sur-Loup, as part of his regular visits to communities that have historical links to the Principality.
These date back to the 18th century, when two members of the Grimaldi family ruled Saint-Paul-de-Vence. At the time, the town’s territory extended to the present-day municipalities of La Colle-sur-Loup and Roquefort-les-Pins. The Prince is planning to visit the latter commune in the near future.
Tribute to Grace Kelly
Seventy years on, Saint-Paul-de-Vence has decided to pay tribute to Grace Kelly. In 1955, a year before her royal wedding, the American actress toured the Riviera after the Cannes Film Festival. Her outings took her to Monaco, but also to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence, the Dominicans’ chapel decorated by Matisse and Vallauris, to Picasso’s ceramics studio.
Jean-Pierre Camilla, Mayor of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, welcomed Prince Albert II to unveil the plaque bearing his signature as a member of the network of Grimaldi of Monaco Historic Sites , in front of the panorama of the fortified town. They spoke to the gathered crowd on Place du Général de Gaulle, in front of La Colombe d’Or, before unveiling the signage that presents the Grace Patricia Kelly 1955 circuit. The circuit was made possible thanks to photographs by Paul Louis, held in the photographic archives of Monaco’s Audiovisual Institute. The tour continued on foot, with stops at the entrance to the rue Grande and then on the way up to the church. During the visit to the church, Lucrèce Grimaldi’s funerary slab was presented. In 1628, she married Claude de Barcillon, Lord of Roquefort. The tour continued to place de la Mairie and then in front of the large fountain, before returning via rue Grande.
In La Colle-sur-Loup, mayor Jean-Bernard Mion welcomed Prince Albert II at the entrance to the chemin du Canadel for a tour of the village centre. The day ended with a republican ceremony in front of the town hall, where a second Grimaldi Historic Sites plaque was unveiled. These official recognitions have firmly cemented the ties between Monaco and these neighbouring French territories.