Following the twinning of Monaco to the Italian municipality of Dolceaqua last year, a symbolic march from Dolceaqua all the way to the Principality took place on Sunday, April 28, in which HSH Prince Albert took part.
Unlike Monaco’s two other twins, Lucciana in Corsica and Ostend in Belgium, Dolceaqua is located much nearer to the Principality. However, participants of the march still conquered 37.9 kilometers in nearly 9 hours to reach the Place du Palais Princier.
Those interested in visiting the Principality’s latest twin will be relieved to discover that the journey from Monaco only takes a much more doable 45 minutes by car, and that the picturesque destination of Dolceaqua is certainly worth a visit.
The decision to twin Monaco and Dolceaqua did not come about as result of their proximity to one another, but rather to honour their shared history, which began over 500 years ago. The celebration of this twinning occurred on November 3, 2023, as Augustin Grimaldi presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the trustees of Dolceacqua in Monaco’s Grimaldi Palace, on November 3, 1523.
Since then, the two municipalities have enjoyed the enrichment of each other’s cultures, particularly with regard to the exchange of fine arts. A recent example of this was in 2019, when HSH Prince Albert II lent Dolceacqua a canvas by Monet from the Princely collections, for a retrospective exhibition of the French impressionist painter’s work.
‘Old Bridge Over the Nervia at Dolceacqua’ by Monet in 1884, Monet took such a liking to Dolceaqua that he painted it four times and called it “a jewel of lightness”
Featured image: Dolceaqua
