Fontvieille, Monaco

Fontvieille is the southernmost district of the Principality of Monaco. It was designed by architect Manfredi Nicoletti and developed under the direction of Italian engineer Gianfranco Gilardini. The work on Fontvieille took place mainly between the 1970s and 1990s. This area is special because it was built on land that was created by extending the coast into the Mediterranean Sea, which helped Monaco grow and develop. Today, Fontvieille is known for its modern buildings, homes, and important offices, making it an important part of Monaco.

History

Fontvieille was built mostly on land that was created by taking in water from the sea. This made it one of the newest parts of Monaco. Work started in 1966, and in 1981, Prince Albert placed the first stone for the new district.

The district grew because of Prince Rainier III, who was known as the Builder Prince. In 2009, plans were shared to add more land to Fontvieille. This new area will have hotels, shops, and homes for many new people. Even though it is not the most expensive part of Monaco, homes there are still very costly.

Geography

Fontvieille is the southernmost part of Monaco and covers an area of about 82 acres. As of 2023, around 4,420 people live there, which is about 12% of Monaco’s total population. To the west, Fontvieille borders the French town of Cap-d'Ail.

A small part of Fontvieille, about 4 acres, is taken up by Fontvieille Park and the Princess Grace Rose Garden.

Sport

Fontvieille is home to Stade Louis II, where the famous AS Monaco FC football team plays. This team is one of the best in the French league.

The area also has a small indoor arena named Salle Gaston Médecin. Here, the AS Monaco Basket team competes, and the space is used for many activities like handball, volleyball, and gymnastics.

Fontvieille is where Monaco's racing team, ROKiT Venturi Racing, is located. They race in the FIA Formula E World Championship. Since 2022-23, Maserati MSG Racing has taken over the team, but it still races from Fontvieille under Monaco's name.

Landmarks

Fontvieille has many interesting places to visit. You can find the Monaco Heliport, which offers quick trips to Nice Airport in France and connects to flights in New York, Dubai, London, and other European cities.

The area is also home to Monaco's automobile museum, called the Monaco Top Cars Collection, located on the Terrasses de Fontvieille. There is a Museum of Stamps and Coins showing money from Monaco since 1640 and the history of its postal system. The Columbus Hotel Monaco, once owned by famous racing driver David Coulthard, is also in Fontvieille. The zoological garden and the Princess Grace Rose Garden can be found there as well. Additionally, companies like Venturi and its subsidiary Voxan have their main offices on the northern side of Fontvieille.

Notable people

Fontvieille is home to many well-known people from different places around the world. Some of these include David and Frederick Barclay, English entrepreneurs, Ken Bates, an English hotelier, and Björn Borg, a famous Swedish tennis player. Other notable residents are David Coulthard, a Scottish racing driver, Nicolas Ioannou, a Cypriot businessman, Firoz Kassam, a Tanzanian entrepreneur, Ken McCulloch, another English hotelier, and Max Verstappen, a Dutch racing driver.