Antonio I, Prince of Monaco

Not to be confused with Anthony I, Lord of Monaco.
Antonio I
Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud, c. 1706
Prince of Monaco
Reign3 January 1701 –
20 February 1731
PredecessorLouis I
SuccessorLouise Hippolyte
Born(1661-01-25)25 January 1661
Died20 February 1731(1731-02-20) (aged 70)
SpouseMarie of Lorraine
Issue
Detail
HouseGrimaldi
FatherLouis I, Prince of Monaco
MotherCatherine Charlotte de Gramont
ReligionRoman Catholic

Antonio I (25 January 1661 – 20 February 1731) was the sovereign Prince of Monaco from 1701 to 1731.

Early life

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Antonio was the elder son of Louis I of Monaco and Catherine Charlotte de Gramont.

Career

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In 1683, Antonio was named lieutenant in the Régiment du Roi Infanterie. In 1684, he was named colonel of the regiment of Soissonois.[1] During the Nine Years War he was present at the Battle of Philippsburg (1688), the Battle of Fleurus (1690), the Siege of Mons (1691), and the Siege of Namur (1692).

On 21 August 1702, Antonio took the oath to King Louis XIV of France in the Parlement on account of being Duke of Valentinois and a Peer of France. He was made a knight of the French royal orders in 1724.

He "completed the fortifications of the Rock of Monaco, constructed the Oreillon and the Fort Antoine."[1] Finally, he formed a "brilliant Court in his palace."[1] He constructed the Rampe Major in 1714; this was an improved road connecting La Condamine to the "platform of the peninsula."[1] The Oreillon tower commanding the ramp leading to the Palais Princier[2] was constructed between 1707 and 1708.[1]

Personal life

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Royal Monogram of Prince Antonio I of Monaco

On 13 June 1688, Antonio married Marie de Lorraine, "Mademoiselle d'Armagnac" (1674–1724), a daughter of Louis, Count of Armagnac. Together, they had six daughters, of whom only three survived infancy:

  • Caterina Charlotte (1691–1696), "Mademoiselle de Monaco", died in early childhood.
  • Louise Hippolyte (1697–1731), successor of her father.
  • Elisabetta Charlotte (1698–1702), "Mademoiselle de Valentinois", died in childhood.
  • Margherita Camilla (1700–1758), "Mademoiselle de Carlades"; who married Louis de Gand-Vilain, Prince of Isenghien and Marshal of France, in 1720.
  • Maria Devota (1702–1703), "Mademoiselle des Baux", died in infancy.
  • Maria Paolina Theresa Devota (1708–1726), "Mademoiselle de Chabreuil", who died unmarried at 18.

Antonio also had a number of illegitimate children:

  • with Elisabeth Durfort (a dancer)
  • with Victoire Vertu (dancer at the Paris opera)
    • Antoinette Grimaldi, called mademoiselle de Saint-Rémy
  • with an unknown woman
    • Louise Marie Thérèse Grimaldi (1705–1723)

Ancestors

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Further reading

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Chiavassa, Henri (1964). The History of the Principality of Monaco as Seen Through its Postage Stamps. Monaco: Postage Stamps Issuing Office. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. ^ Christiaan Klieger, P (2012). The Microstates of Europe: Designer Nations in a Post-Modern World. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739174272. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
Preceded by Sovereign Prince of Monaco
1701–1731 		Succeeded by
Duke of Valentinois
1701–1731 		Extinct


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