COMPAGNIE DES CARABINIERS DU PRINCE : MONACO ’ S HERITAGE MOVES IN STEP WITH ITS PRESTIGIOUS ARMY
THE GUARD TAKES SHAPE DURING THE RISE OF THE GRIMALDI DYNASTY
After the birth of Monaco , thanks to the cunning ploy by François Grimaldi , nicknamed ‘ Malizia ’, in early January 1297 , Charles I consolidated the domain on the territory up to Menton and Roquebrune , after his appointment as Lord in 1341 . Since then , this land had been considered as a pivotal strategic and military position that needed to be protected through a skilled armed force . The Lord ’ s Guard was mentioned for the first time in 1395 to safeguard Monaco ’ s Rock , enjoying the support of France . That training unit was made up of some hundreds of local soldiers and a few French and Italian mercenaries . The effectiveness of its mission was successfully tested during the long siege which lasted from 1506 until 1507 repelling the Genoese attacks .
By Maurizio Abbati
DID YOU KNOW ?
’ Honour , Fidelity and Devotion ‘ is the motto which combines a high sense of duty with efficiency and exemplary professionalism . The Sovereign Prince , the Princely Family and the Principality have been under the protection of a special ’ guardian angel ‘ for more than two hundred years . The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince ( The Prince ’ s Palace Guard ) is a Historical Army Command that stems from the birth of the dynasty of the Grimaldi Princely Family , in the Middle Ages . Their presence in the Principality is effectively part of the Monegasque heritage accompanying the most representative moments in its history , emblematically synthesized in the modern Ceremony of the Changing of the Guard in the Prince ’ s Palace Square .
But where did they take their first steps and how did they develop ? HelloMonaco went in search of the milestones of the Carabiniers ’ long history since their foundation to the present day , discovering some unexpected curiosities .
The Sovereign Prince , the Princely Family and the Principality have been under the protection of a special ‘ guardian angel ’ for more than two hundred years .
THE PERSONAL GUARD IN FORCE DURING THE SPANISH AND FRENCH ‘ DOMINIONS ’ UP TO THE BIRTH OF THE PRINCIPALITY
The Spanish came to the aid of Monaco ’ s Fortress during the Sixteenth Century giving birth to its status as a protectorate under the Treaty of Tordesillas signed in Burgos in 1524 . A Spanish Infantry Regiment was then charged with protecting the castle and the sur-
© Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince
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