Source: 123rf/Getty Images
Even today, walking around Monte Carlo, you happen to come across the memory of Princess Grace of Monaco. Here and there, commemorative plaques, streets - like the central one Princess Grace Avenue -, gardens, theaters and even the hospital and some modern condominiums recall his brief passage in this tiny strip of land – it is the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican – where he undoubtedly left his mark.
She, Grace Kelly, an American actress originally from Philadelphia, born here on November 12, 1929, and who, at less than thirty years of age, had already become a Princess, is the fairy tale that all the girls of those years dreamed of. It is the symbol of a dream come true.
Grace, icon of glamor and elegance, married Prince Rainier III in 1956 (the year after winning the Oscar for the film "The Country Girl"), giving the Principality of Monaco that regal and timeless allure that it still distinguishes it today.
Source: Press office
Those who are passionate about "Royal" events can have fun in Monaco on a tour that retraces the places that celebrate one of the most beloved characters in history (and gossip).
The Princes' Palace
First of all there is the Palais Princier which, from the fortress, dominates the entire Principality and where the Princes have always lived (now "Monsieur", Albert II, who succeeded Rainier III, lives there). The official photographs of Grace with her family were almost all taken in this sumptuous palace which can be visited, at least in part. The Palais is a treasure chest containing priceless works of art with its Italian gallery and 16th century frescoes.
Source: Press office
The Louis XV Salon, in shades of yellow and gold, the Throne Room, the Courtyard of Honor and the 11.55th century staircase in Carrara marble are beautiful. Every day, at XNUMXam, the changing of the Prince's Carabinieri Guard still takes place: a ritual whose aim is to offer loyalty and dedication to the Sovereign Prince and the princely family.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Not far from the Palace there is another iconic place of the love story between Grace and Ranieri: the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where the princely wedding was celebrated. Built in 1875, with blocks of smooth stone from Turbie, just above Montecarlo, today it houses their tombs, positioned next to each other.
Source: Press office
The Princess Grace Rose Garden
Grace Kelly was passionate about roses, so much so that she was given two specimens created especially for her by a French botanist: the “Grace de Monaco” rose in 1956 and the “Princesse de Monaco” rose in 1981. Grace dedicated a gala to this flower of charity, The Rose Dance which is still held every year in March at the Sporting Club of Monte-Carlo and which brings together the international jet set, in the presence of HSH Albert II and Charlène de Monaco. “Le Bal de la Rose” aims to raise funds for the Princess Grace Foundation, a non-profit organization that intervenes to help people in difficulty and disadvantaged children through humanitarian and philanthropic actions.
Source: Press office
And the roses so loved by Grace are dedicated to them Princess Grace Rose Garden which is located in the Fontvieille neighborhood. Inaugurated in 1984 by Prince Rainier, two years after the death of the Princess in her memory, the Roseraie Princesse Grace with the statue depicting her with her inevitable chignon, is the perfect place for pleasant walks getting lost in the scents of over 6.000 roses 315 varieties from all over the world.
