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Georges Lukomski - Mars 1966 - L © Archives du Palais de Monaco

Ici le Prince Rainier sur le terre-plein de Fontvieille, en cours d’élaboration, en mars 1966. / Here Prince Rainier on the Fontvieille earth platform, under construction, in March 1966.

A city in constant metamorphosis

Over the next few decades, Monaco will continue its transformation as a micro-state with multiple
mutations, started with the creation of Monte-Carlo.

These days it is difficult to imagine what the Séverine Canis-Froidefond, who heads up the over 22 hectares. In this new district, 87,240 m²
Spélugues plateau looked like before Monte- Department of Forward Studies, Urban Planning of buildings were created, with 350,230 m² in
Carlo came into being. On this arid and wild land, and Mobility. “The old beach there was filled in usable superstructures finally constructed. These
there were once olive and carob trees, as well to accommodate the start of Monaco’s first usable areas represent more than 11% of the
as a handful of fruit trees. Everything changed industrial age (including the first incineration Principality’s surface area. «The new Mareterra
in the 19th century, when Prince Charles III plant , as well as the first football stadium. This district, due to be finished by 2025, is part of this
started the transformation of this little piece of extension allowed the first port of Fontvieille to tradition of expanding Monégasque territory.”
Monégasque territory into a holiday and gaming be built, which was of a smaller capacity than
resort for aristocratic and wealthy Europeans, today, representing 6.2 hectares for an existing Going underground
with palatial hotels and a casino. built-up area of 41,980 m². This operation In the past, Monaco has also expanded its
remains the most dense of the extensions at square meterage below ground, as seen in the
Since then, Monaco has never stopped its sea, with 249,550 m² of usable space now re-direction of the railway underground, which
metamorphosis, with progressive transformation built upon.” Further land extensions would started in the 1960s and finished at the end of the
seen in every district from La Condamine to occur in 1910 (with the reorganisation of the 1990s, when the station was transferred into the
arvotto. The Principality has also filled up and Port Hercule), in the 1960s and 70s (with the deep valley of Sainte-Dévote, along with 13 levels
expanded, which has been imperative for the reorganisation of the coast between Le Portier of car parking. However, it was above all the
little 202-hectare (initially 160-hectare in the 19 th and the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin border and the urban developments built upon the abandoned
century) state, trapped between the sea and the creation of the Larvotto peninsula) and, of course, SNCF railway land that, from 1999 when the
mountains, the latter representing a considerable between 1966 and 1973 with another land tracks were placed underground, allowed for a
constraint. On the Rock of Monaco, the old town extension in Fontvieille (with the construction huge urban re-styling, the advent of new public
reaches a maximum altitude of 60 metres, whilst of the the Stade Louis II, housing, the Fontvieille and private buildings and the improvement of
the newer part of the city is stacked between 0 shopping centre and the heliport). “The district the Principality’s urban network. Across the four
and 160 metres against the side of Mont Agel. would take over 30 years to develop, marked hectares that were reclaimed, some 135,000
by the delivery of the shopping centre in 1993 m² of floor space saw the light of day. All these
The Principality has gained space via the sea. and the final residential building, e Magellan, building projects have profoundly changed the
“The first land extension dates from 1907 and which started in 2004. The vast project created face of Monaco - and this is only the beginning.
concerned the bay of Fontvieille,” explains an extension to the Principality’s territory of

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