At the age of 18, when he went to the French Court to meet his future wife Antoinette of Savoy, Jean Grimaldi was requested by his father to carry out a delicate mission. This article is a good opportunity to immerse in the medieval time, when the Monaco Lordship had to fight against the other Lordships who disputed his territory. (full text in French)
Charles Grimaldi was Rainier’s son, admiral of France and victorious of Zierikzee. He was involved with his father by fighting alongside the French king, Philippe VI, until 1341. His victories permitted him to have subsidies, and he undertook some fortification works around the rock of Monaco. (full text in French)
Up through the first half of the 14th century, the kings and princes of the territories continued to rely primarily on military service, turning to the chivalry in particular, in order to wage their war as successfully as possible. However, at the end of the Middle Ages, recruiting soldiers in this manner increasingly meant providing pecuniary consideration, wages and in-kind compensation. Such was the case of Charles Grimaldi, who served the French monarchy and the Anjou dynasty over many long years. His enlistment enabled him to build political fame and financial power. (full text in French)
The relationships between the Monaco Lordship and the Genoa Republic often changed as the independence of the principality depended on the acceptance of Genoa. The siege of Monaco in 1506-1507 is one of the episodes that the author recounts, by depicting the political, regional and international context of that time. (full text in French)
John Grimaldi the First, lord of Monaco from 1427 to 1454, had to fight during all these years against the aims of his big neighbours – namely the Republic of Genoa, the duchies of Savoy and Milan –, eager to seize Monaco, strategic stronghold between Provence and Italy. Despite the determination he made to preserve the independence of his Rock of Monaco, John ended up selling, in the spring of 1451, his seigneury to Dauphin Louis, future king of France Louis XI, retaining only the government of the place in the name of the Dauphin. Thus, totally ignored, the delphinal banner waved for three years on the towers of the two castles of Monaco, until the death of John Grimaldi and the beginning of the reign of his son Catalan. Finally the place remained in the hands of the Grimaldi, the Dauphin having not executed the clauses of the bill of sale and having abandoned his plans of foreign Italian policy.
(full text in French)