Monte Carlo

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For other uses, see Monte Carlo (disambiguation).

Monte Carlo

Quarter and Ward of Monaco

Monte Carlo in Monaco (Ward shown)

 Monte Carlo

Location in relation to France

Coordinates: 434423N 72538ECoordinates:

434423N 72538E

Country Monaco

Government
Type Principality

Area
Urban 0.61 km2(.234 sq mi)

Population (34)
Quarter and Ward of Monaco 15,200 (in the quarter)
3,500 (in the ward)

Postcode 98000

Monte Carlo /mnti krlo/ (Italian pronunciation: [monte karlo]; French: Monte-
Carlo, pronounced [mte kalo], or colloquially Monte-Carl, pronounced [mte
kal]; Mongasque: Monte-Carlu) officially refers to an administrative area of the Principality
of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Splugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is
located. Informally the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding
to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo/Splugues also includes the
wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The permanent
population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000.
Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-
Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.
Monte Carlo (literally "Mount Charles") is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of
the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera. Near the quarter's western end is the world-famous
 Place du Casino, the gambling center which has made Monte Carlo "an international byword for the
extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth".[1] It is also the location of the Htel de Paris,
the Caf de Paris, and the Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opra de
Monte-Carlo).
The quarter's eastern part includes the community of Larvotto with Monaco's only public beach, as
well as its new convention center (the Grimaldi Forum), and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. At
the quarter's eastern border, one crosses into the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to
as Monte-Carlo-Suprieur), and just 8 kilometres (5 mi) to its east is the western border of Italy.

Contents
[hide]

1History
2Climate
3Sport and leisure
4Salle Garnier
5Twin cities
6Htel de Paris
7In entertainment
8Notable residents
9See also
10References
11External links

History[edit]
Main article: History of Monaco

Charles III of Monaco was responsible for turning the Monte Carlo district and Monaco into a thriving town.

By the 1850s Monaco's reigning family was almost bankrupt; this was a result of the loss of two
towns, Menton and Roquebrune, which had provided most of the principalitys revenues with
their lemon, orange and olive crops.[2] At the time, a number of small towns in Europe were growing
prosperous from the establishment of casinos, notably in German towns such as Baden-
Baden and Homburg.
In 1856 Charles III of Monaco granted a concession to Napoleon Langlois and Albert Aubert to
establish a sea-bathing facility for the treatment of various diseases, and to build a German-style
casino in Monaco.[2] The initial casino was opened in La Condamine in 1862, but was not a success;
its present location in the area called "Les Splugues" (The Caves) of Monte Carlo, came only after
several relocations in the years that followed. The success of the casino grew slowly, largely due to
the area's inaccessibility from much of Europe. The installation of the railway in 1868, however,
brought with it an influx of people into Monte Carlo and saw it grow in wealth.[2]
Saint-Charles Church on Monte Carlo's Avenue Sainte-Charles was completed in 1883. It was
restored in its centenary year.[3][4]
In 1911 when the Constitution divided the principality of Monaco in three municipalities, the
municipality of Monte Carlo was created covering the existing neighborhoods of La Rousse/Saint
Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins and Saint Michel. The municipalities were merged into one in 1917,
after accusations that the government was acting according to the motto "divide and conquer" and
they were accorded the status of wards (quartiers) thereafter. Today, Monaco is divided into 10
wards, with an eleventh ward planned (but currently postponed) to encompass land reclaimed from
the sea (see the "Administrative Divisions" section of Monaco for additional details).
The quarter of Monte Carlo was served by tramways from 1900 to 1953, linking all parts
of Monaco (see transportation in Monaco). In 2003 a new cruise ship pier was completed in the
harbour at Monte Carlo.

Climate[edit]
[hide]Climate data for Monte Carlo, Monaco

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

12.5 13.1 14.5 16.7 19.8 23.3 26.4 26.6

Average high C (F)
(54.5) (55.6) (58.1) (62.1) (67.6) (73.9) (79.5) (79.9)

8.7 9.4 10.9 13.2 16.4 19.9 22.9 23.0

Daily mean C (F)
(47.7) (48.9) (51.6) (55.8) (61.5) (67.8) (73.2) (73.4)

4.9 5.6 7.2 9.7 13.0 16.4 19.3 19.3

Average low C (F)
(40.8) (42.1) (45) (49.5) (55.4) (61.5) (66.7) (66.7)

82.7 76.4 70.5 62.2 48.6 36.9 15.6 31.3

Average precipitation mm (inches)
(3.256) (3.008) (2.776) (2.449) (1.913) (1.453) (0.614) (1.232)

Average precipitation days 6.8 6.4 6.1 6.3 5.2 4.1 1.9 3.1

Mean monthly sunshine hours 148.8 152.6 201.5 228.0 269.7 297.0 341.0 306.9

Percent possible sunshine 53 55 54 58 58 66 73 71

Source #1: Hong Kong Observatory[5]

Source #2: Weather Atlas (possible sunshine) [6]

[hide]Climate data for Monaco

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug S

 12.25 12.52 13.97 16.13 19.36 22.98 25.78 25.93 23
Average high C (F)
(54.05) (54.54) (57.15) (61.03) (66.85) (73.36) (78.4) (78.67) (74

8.08 8.16 9.6 11.62 14.83 18.49 21.18 21.51 19

Average low C (F)
(46.54) (46.69) (49.3) (52.92) (58.69) (65.28) (70.12) (70.72) (66

Average precipitation days 5.9 5.2 6.7 6 5.6 2.8 1.3 2.5 4

Source: Monaco website[7]

Climate data for Monte Carlo

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

13.4 13.0 13.4 14.6 18.0 21.8 23.1 23.6

Average sea temperature C (F)
(56.2) (55.5) (56.1) (58.4) (64.3) (71.3) (73.6) (74.4)

Mean daily daylight hours 9.0 10.0 12.0 13.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 14.0

Average Ultraviolet index 1 2 4 5 7 8 8 7

Source: Weather Atlas [6]

Sport and leisure[edit]

Monte Carlo Casino

Monte Carlo is host to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand
Prix takes place. It also hosts world championship boxing bouts, the European Poker Tour Grand
Final and the World Backgammon Championship as well as the Monaco International Auto
Show (Fr: Salon International de l'Automobile de Monaco[8]), fashion shows and other events.
Although the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament is billed as taking place in the community, its
actual location is in the adjacent French commune of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Monte Carlo has
been visited by royalty as well as the public and movie stars for decades. The Monte Carlo Rally is
one of the longest running and most respected car rallies; from 1973 to 2008 and again from 2012, it
marks the start of World Rally Championshipseason, having also served as the curtain-raiser for
the Intercontinental Rally Challenge between 2009 and 2011. The rally, however, takes place
outside the Monte Carlo quarter and is run mostly on French roads.
Monte Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist resorts, although many of the key tourist destinations
are in other parts of Monaco, including such attractions as Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon
Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and the Prince's Palace, all of which are
in Monaco-Ville.

Salle Garnier[edit]
Main article: Opra de Monte-Carlo
The Opra de Monte-Carlo or Salle Garnier was built to designs of the architect Charles Garnier,
who also designed the Paris opera house now known as the Palais Garnier. Although much smaller,
the Salle Garnier is very similar in style with decorations in red and gold, and frescoes and
sculptures all around the auditorium. It was inaugurated on 25 January 1879 with a performance
by Sarah Bernhardt dressed as a nymph. The first opera performed there was Robert
Planquette's Le Chevalier Gaston on 8 February 1879, and that was followed by three more in the
first season.
With the influence of the first director, Jules Cohen (who was instrumental in bringing Adelina Patti)
and the fortunate combination of Raoul Gunsbourg, the new director from 1883, and Princess Alice,
the opera-loving American wife of Charles III's successor, Albert I, the company was thrust onto the
world's opera community stage. Gunsbourg had remained for sixty years.
By the early years of the twentieth century, the Salle Garnier was to see such great performers
as Nellie Melba and Enrico Caruso in La Bohme and Rigoletto (in 1902), and Feodor Chaliapin in
the premiere of Jules Massenet's Don Quichotte (1910). This production formed part of a long
association between the company and Massenet and his operas, two of which were presented there
posthumously.
Other famous twentieth-century singers to appear at Monte Carlo included Titta Ruffo, Geraldine
Farrar, Mary Garden, Tito Schipa, Beniamino Gigli, Claudia Muzio, Georges Thill, and Lily Pons.
Apart from Massenet, composers whose works had their first performances at Monte Carlo
included: Saint-Sans (Hlne, 1904); Mascagni (Amica, 1905); and Puccini (La rondine, 1917).
Indeed, since its inauguration, the theatre has hosted 45 world premiere productions of
operas. Ren Blum was retained to found the Ballet de l'Opra. The "Golden Age" of the Salle
Garnier is gone, as small companies with small houses are not able to mount productions that cost
astronomical sums. Nonetheless, the present day company still presents a season containing five or
six operas.