MAKING NEWS
89TH MONTE-CARLO RALLY : THE MOST UNUSUAL EDITION YET
© Burst : Pexels
NEW UNDERGROUND TUNNEL FOR MONACO ’ S COMMUTERS
A
new underground pedestrian tunnel , which will connect the top of Boulevard du Jardin Exotique to the Fontvieille district , with a direct 400-metre route , is scheduled to be ready in 2023 . Work on the ambitious tunnel , named ‘ Les Salines ,’ is well underway . Currently , 60 out of the 130 metres of the new tunnel have already been dug out using dynamite . The starting point of the new tunnel will be a large car park , which has been under construction since 2017 , opposite the entrance of the Exotic Garden . From there , an elevator will take commuters down 15 floors to the underground gallery , measuring 130 metres long , which leads to the bottom of Avenue Pasteur . The walk will then continue outdoors , over 200 metres via footbridges .
An icon of the Principality since its establishment in 1911 by Prince Albert I of Monaco , the Monte-Carlo Rally took place on January , 18 – 24 under never-before-seen circumstances . The race was held in the absence of public spectators , the route was shortened , strict measures were applied to drivers who wore masks while performing and race times had to be adapted to fit the French 6 pm curfew . More than eighty teams of different nationalities covered a total of about 257 km in risky conditions made even more challenging by rainy and snowy weather from the Maritime Alps to Port Hercule . After a particularly challenging race head-to-head with Elfyn Evans , Sébastien Ogier was awarded by the Sovereign Prince the first prize , setting a new record . Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin from UK arrived second and Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe from Belgium took third place in the race .
© Michael Alesi / Direction de la Communication
Rally drivers at the starting point at Monte-Carlo Rally Service Park headquarters ( Gap , 21st January 2021 )
The Archbishop of Monaco waiting for the Princely Family accompanied by Carabiniers in full dress ( Saint Devota ’ s Chapel , 26th January 2021 )
© Stéphane Demard
MONEGASQUES PAY HOMAGE TO SAINT DEVOTA AS A SIGN OF HOPE
Saint Devota celebrations took place on the 26 and 27 January 2021 with a smaller agenda during the ongoing health emergency . The Sovereign Prince , Princess Charlène , Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella set fire once again to the white-and-red boat covered with olive branches placed at Quai Antoine 1er in Port Hercules . The cleansing ritual follows a tradition set by Prince Louis II and symbolizes peace , hope and rebirth .
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