Show principality of monaco dates to belonged to toone one of the oldest families the small mediterranean principality of monaco dates to and has belonged to the house of grimaldi one of the oldest sovereign families all that time the gri baldis however according to a writer in the cleveland plain dealer have paid allegiance to various kings during their reign the family traces its own history to the early eighth century in 1715 the title passed into the female line in the person of louise hippolyte daughter of prince antoine 1 I she was married to jacques de goyon matignon count of thorigny Tho rigny who took the name and arms of grimaldi in place of his own louise hippolyte reigned only ten months dying in 1732 her son honore III HI was deposed by the french revolution and died in 1795 in 1814 the principality was reestablished and the rightful heir restored rs honore IV the treaty of vienna in 1815 placed monaco under the protection of the king of sardinia mentone and revolted in 1848 and declared themselves free towns their freedom was not long maintained but they did not return to monaco in 1881 1861 charles III HI for francs ceded his rights over them to france and the principality was reduced to its present area of eight square miles I 1 at the same time the protectorate 1 was terminated terminates tei and the sardinian garrison withdrawn until 1911 the prince of monaco was an absolute monarch in that year a constitution was adopted ado apted providing for a legislative assembly chosen by universal suffrage the principality is encircled by the french department of alpes maritimes Mari times its population according to the census of january 9 1928 is it has a small harbor and contains the three towns of monaco LaCon damine and monte carlo the latter famous for its casino the gaming tables supply most of the state revenue an important oceanographic museum and laboratory was established at monaco by the late prince albert the site of the principality was well known to the ancients A temple P le of heracles seems to have been built on the monaco headland hea adland by the phoenicians Phoenicia ns at a very early date the same god was afterward worshiped there it appears by the greeks |