Monaco-Ville Sculpture Path

Place de la Visitation
On the southern side of the Place de la Visitation is Lycée Albert Ier high school. It occupies the former Convent of the Visitation, founded in 1663 by Charlotte de Gramont, wife of Prince Louis I. The religious building was then used as hospital, a prison and later a barracks, before being turned into a school by Prince Albert I in 1910.
The Chapelle de la Visitation is in the same building as the Lycée. It was originally the chapel of the Convent of the Visitandines, founded by Princess Charlotte de Gramont to provide education to young girls of the Monegasque community and surrounding area. For the most part, it has retained the baroque style that inspired its architect Marc-Antoine Grigho, a very popular artist in Genoa.
Next to the Chapel is the National Council of Monaco, the sole chamber of the Monegasque Parliament. Pass in front of the National Council and you will arrive in a small square, where you can admire the bust of Louis Aureglia by Paul Belmondo (c. 1955). Louis Aureglia was President of the National Council for two terms.  (1950-1954; 1955-1958).
Opposite the National Council is the Ministry of State, home to the Prince’s Government. It is responsible for governing the country, which is a constitutional hereditary monarchy. The Ministry of State is an imposing building. The second main entrance is opposite the Lycée Albert Ier.

Place du Ministère d’Etat
Opposite the National Council is the Ministry of State and surrounding gardens. Walking around the Ministry of State, you can admire a number of sculptures. First there is the nymph Salmacis, created by Monegasque sculptor François-Joseph BOSIO. Salmacis is a leading character in the myth of the Greek god Hermaphrodite.
There is also a bronze sculpture by George SEGAL entitled Man on Bench (1984). 
Finally, to the right of Ministry of State and further down, you will see Jean-Michel Folon’s work La Fontaine aux Oiseaux (1934-2005).
Return to the Lycée Albert Ier and turn right, into the small street. You will arrive at the Place de la Mairie.

Place de la Mairie
The building which houses Monaco’s city hall dates from the early 17th century, and became the Mairie in 1901.
Opposite, you can visit the baroque Chapelle de la Miséricorde, the founding stone of which was blessed in 1639 under the reign of Prince Honoré II (1720-1795).
Take Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi and stop at number 4 to admire the renaissance style doorway (1530-40). It dates back to the Rock’s reconstruction following the siege of 1506-1507.
A little further on, in the square of the same name, you will find the bust of François Joseph Bosio (1768-1845), a neo-classical Monegasque artists of the First Empire and Restoration.

Place du Palais
Walk along Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi, between the post office and the tobacconist. You will arrive at the Place du Palais, where a first fortress was built in 1215, under the direction of Genoese consul Fulco del Castello (Gibelin), on the site of the current Palace.
The 18th century cannons are a trace of the fortress’s defenses.
To your right, you will see the statue of François Grimaldi, (created in 1997 by Kees Verkade), a 13th century Genoese. At the time, Genoa was engulfed in a civil war between the Guelphs (supporters of the Pope) and the Ghibellines (supporters of the Emperor). In January 1297, François Grimaldi, also known as Malizia, a member of the Guelph faction who had been exiled from Genoa, succeeded in seizing the Place de Monaco by a clever ruse. The fortress was subsequently lost and retaken numerous times, before being captured by the Grimaldis once and for all in the 14th century.
Nearby, you will see “La Science découvrant les richesses de l’océan” (1914), a statue sculpted by Constant Roux in honour of Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922) who was known as a man of learning.
As you cross the Place du Palais, notice the Barracks of the Prince’s Guards.

The ramparts
On the left, towards the sea, admire the views of Fontvieille and the cliffs of the Exotic Garden.
Take the Ruelle Sainte-Barbe beside the souvenir shop, and follow the ramparts with their 18th century turrets. You will arrive on Avenue Saint Martin, in front of the Cathedral and the Palais de Justice which houses the Principality’s court.
Built in 1658-59, the Palais de Justice was originally a town house before being converted into the court house in 1822.
On the left-hand side of the Palais de Justice, you will see a marble bust of Prince Louis II. Walk around the Palais de Justice, to find the Saint Nicholas Fountain. On the right-hand side of the Palais de Justice is a marble bust of Prince Honoré II (1597-1662) by the 17th century Genoese sculptor Lazare Ratto.
The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l’Immaculée Conception) was built between 1875 and 1903 in a Byzantine Auvergnat Romanesque revival style by Charles Lenormand, on the ruins of the Church of Saint Nicholas (built after 1252). Inside are paintings by Louis Brea, a French artist of the last 15th and early 16th century.
Between the Palais de Justice and the Cathedral, you can also admire a fountain topped with a statue of Saint Nicholas.

Saint-Martin gardens
Go back down the steps to the gardens in front of the Cathedral.
Follow the path through the Saint Martin gardens, with their numerous heritage trees. Pause outside the Saint Martin cave, which provided a shelter for humans from the Upper Paleolithic period, and then admire the statue of Saint Martin of Tours by the Vincenzo Mussner workshop. There are also other sculptures to be seen here, including Le Carrefour de la Vie by Edouard-Marcel SANDOZ or Invitation by K. Verkade (1982). More can be found throughout the Saint Martin gardens, such as Ettore e Andromaca by Giorgio de Chirico (1886).
A little further on, the Statue of Prince Albert I by François Cogné (1951) overlooks the Mediterranean. It was Prince Albert Ier (1848-1922), known for his interest in science and particularly oceanography, who ordered the construction of the now world-famous Oceanographic Museum (1898-1910). Admire the marble statues of Gustave Dussart on the right of the front wall (1905). To the right of the museum building itself, you will also see Le Messager by ZADKINE (1890-1967).

Le Fort Antoine
Continue your walk along the Terrasses des Prisons, to Fort Antoine.
The watchtower at the edge of the cliff overlooks the open sea and the entrance to the port.
The plaque commemorates the name of Prince Antoine I (1661-1731), who built the fortress, and the construction date of 1709.
As you explore Fort Antoine, you will see L’homme et l’enfant by Axel CASSEL (1999).

From Fort Antoine, you can either walk back to the starting point of this tour of the Rock, or continue on to Port Hercule and La Condamine.