Monaco's master chef Alain DUCASSE immortalized by the Grévin Museum

The inauguration of master chef Alain DUCASSE's wax double at the Gévin Museum took place on Monday, March 23rd in Paris. Bernard Pivot, president of the Grévin Academy, presided at a ceremony presented by Bernard Spindler, a prominent Monegasque journalist and close friend of the chef.

Born in southwestern France, Alain Ducasse has become one of the most famous chefs of our time and currently presides over 22 restaurants around the world, including Monaco's prestigious Louis XV.

As a master chef, a creator of restaurants and a dedicated teacher, Alain Ducasse has spent 25 years developing his multiple talents to an unrivaled level of excellence. In May 2009 he will inaugurate a new school for "Haute Cuisine" in Paris open to students of all levels and offering courses to aspiring cooks, pastry chefs and wine specialists. Created in 2001, The Grévin Academy designates new candidates to be immortalized in wax by the Museum.

The committee includes journalists from a variety of fields (sports, culture, politics…) who make their choices according to the popularity and newsworthy qualities of prospective candidates. Alain Ducasse was chosen by unanimous vote at the April 2008 reunion, after which the Museum's sculptor Eric Chaffray and his team began six months of work with a series of photo, video and 3D image sessions, plus the molding of Ducasse's face and body so as to achieve the finest possible true-to-life double. Alain Ducasse is represented standing and dressed in his chef's uniform, with a large number of the ingredients and utensils he uses set on a table in front of him… all created in wax.

Other famous figures soon to grace the halls of the Grévin Museum include Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and actress Carole Bouquet.

A Year of Merriment, Make-Overs and Milestones for the Principality of Monaco in 2009

Long acknowledged as one of Europe’s most illustrious and enchanting destinations, the Principality of Monaco offers travelers a luxury experience, at any vacation budget, through attractive accommodations at every price level and exhilarating year-round events. In 2009, the “jewel of the Riviera” will celebrate new and refurbished hotels and restaurants and cultural and artistic anniversaries.

Are you Monte-Carlo?

Watch the video at www.youtube.com/visitmonaco

Holiday Season in Monaco

Monaco offers special cultural events and gala dinners throughout the Principality on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve, including parades, concerts and activities for children. Monaco's hotels and restaurants offer special packages. On New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight, revelers convene in the magnificent Casino Square to ring in the New Year.In Monaco, Christmas Eve was the occasion when all the members of a family would gather at their home to perform, as a preliminary act to the evening meal, the rite of the olive branch. Before sitting down, the youngest of the guests, or the oldest, soaked an olive branch in a glass of old wine. He approached the fireplace where a great fire of pine and laurel branches burned and with his little branch traced the sign of the Cross while pronouncing a few words on the virtues of the olive tree, a source of all kinds of good things. After this, everybody in turn would wet his lips in the glass of wine serving as an aperitif. Dinner traditionally consists of an enormous "brandamincium", a Monégasque dish of salt cod pounded with garlic, oil and cream, surrounded by "cardu", cardoon in white sauce; "barba-giuan", literally "Uncle John", stuffed fritters and "fougasses" flat crunchy biscuits sprinkled with sugared aniseed colored red and white, flavored with several drops of rum and orange-flower water.

For more information, please go to http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=283

For Its First Venture Abroad, Monte-Carlo SBM Has Chosen Marrakech

Masters of savoir-faire since 1863, having reached the pinnacle of excellence, the Monte-Carlo S.B.M. brand has, throughout its prodigious history, made a name for itself as a leading trendsetter. Today, it is one of the world’s top luxury brands, ready to export its image to the planet’s great capital cities and the most elegant venues. For its first project abroad, the Monegasque group has chosen a flagship destination, popular amongst its traditional clientele: Marrakech.

For more information, please go to http://www.visitmonaco.com/pdf/marrakech08.pdf

“Treasures” From the Principality of Monaco’s Prince Rainier and Prince Grace on Display in Chicago

Conspicuous among the fine jewelry and valuable collectibles on display at the Field Museum’s Treasures of the Titans exhibit opening January 26, 2007, are striking pieces on special loan from Prince Albert II of Monaco – including a diamond tiara which belonged to His mother, H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco which She wore to official functions such as the 1962 wedding of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
The exhibit also includes a pair of Her Van Cleef & Arpels diamond earrings, a Mikimoto pearl necklace, a diamond and ruby Scorpio (Her birth sign) pendant and a Vacheron Constantin gold watch.

For more information, go to http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=1072

First LUX WINE Trade Fair April 27-29, 2007

One of the Principality of Monaco's big new event for 2007 is undoubtedly the LUX WINE trade fair taking place from at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco Friday April 27 to Sunday 29, and it already looks decidedly like becoming one of Monaco's springtime musts.

About 150 exhibitors are expected to attend this first edition that will transform the Espace Ravel into an immense wine cellar.

For more information, http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=283

Top Marques Monaco April 19-22, 2007

With the aim of achieving the ultimate supercar show, Top Marques Monaco 2007 goes interactive to become the Only Live Supercar Show in the World! The fourth edition at the Grimaldi Forum from April 19 to 22 is already a sold-out event (with many manufacturers still knocking at the door) and promises to be a stellar show, indeed! Alongside the fabulous exhibition of supercars inside the Grimaldi Forum, outside will be the excitement generated by the motors of over 30 supercars in the new Top Marques Pits.

For more information, please go to http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=283

Monaco Takes New York 2007 Shines the Spotlight on Princess Grace

In the spring and fall of 2007, the spotlight will shine brightly on one of the world's premier destinations, the Principality of Monaco, and in particular, on the life and times of one of the world's truly iconic figures, H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco.

At a series of glamorous invitation-only and open-to-the-public events at selected venues throughout New York City, the public can discover the rich culture, noble traditions and tempting cuisine of the “jewel of the Riviera”. And in the 25th year since Her tragic death, a series of extra-special events will offer a glimpse inside the fairytale world of America's Princess. A dedicated website: http://www.monacotakesnewyork.com/ will be constantly updated with dates, times and venues and press information for these extraordinary events.

Spring 2007 in New York
This spring, the Principality’s favorite sister city, New York, will host a series of extra-special Monaco-inspired events to preview what will most certainly be the most talked-about Monaco Takes New York to date – including an look at The Grace Kelly Years, a fascinating retrospective that will be held from 13 July through 9 September in Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum.
For the sixth year, lunch time diners in New York will delight in the epicurean specialties of the world's most glamorous destination by savoring traditional Monégasque cuisine - a tempting fusion of French, Italian and Mediterranean influences - at select high-end restaurants throughout midtown Manhattan. The classic sounds of Monaco will be heard on New York's WQXR 96.3-FM as Making Music in Monaco kicks off its 11th season in mid-March with a traditional one-hour Saturday show, featuring performers and composers with ties, present or past, to the Principality, followed by mid-week mini-segments, and culminating in a mid-May crescendo with a three-hour gala cultural feast. These programs will link some of Monaco's most acclaimed cultural icons: the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera companies and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, plus previews of the Spring Arts Festival as well as The Grace Kelly Years exhibit. Throughout October special tribute programs will air featuring poetry readings by Princess Grace.
Through Her many charitable endeavors, Princess Grace dedicated much time and effort focusing on the world's children. To honor that legacy, students aged 8-12 will be invited to create an illustration reflecting the aspect of Her persona that inspires them most. The illustrations will be evaluated by a panel of judges including Monaco's Consul General in the United States and one lucky winner will be invited to the Princess Grace exhibition at Sotheby's in the fall of 2007 (Rules and full prize description to be posted online in January with entries due in May, 2007.)

Summer 2007 in Monaco
For the first time, to mark the 25th anniversary of Her passing, the Principality will stage an exhibition that pays homage to Princess Grace of Monaco. In close collaboration with the Prince's Palace, which will make available personal items not previously displayed in public, this tribute called The Grace Kelly Years (July 12 through September 9) will retrace the many facets of Her life; from Grace Kelly, Hollywood star, to Princess of Monaco, devoted supporter of the Principality which adopted and loved her from the moment she set foot there in 1956. This unique exhibition - over 13,000 ft² - will feature personal letters, private belongings, clothing, jewelry and fashion accessories, sound recordings, film excerpts, news reports and more. (http://www.grimaldiforum.com/)

Fall 2007 in New York
In the fall of 2007, renowned auctioneers, Sotheby’s, will house a remarkable exhibition devoted to the Princess featuring personal items, audiovisual archives, and many more never-before-seen objects; the annual Princess Grace Awards Gala to benefit young and aspiring artists will be held in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and a spectacular live auction is planned to benefit the Princess Grace Foundation – USA.
The Consulate General of Monaco and the Monaco Government Tourist Office are pleased to partner with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, Sotheby's and Town & Country magazine in this extraordinary tribute to the Principality of Monaco's brilliant past, sparkling present and dynamic future.

For more information, please contact the Consulate General of Monaco, 565 Fifth Avenue, New York New York 10017, Tel: 212-286 0500 or via e-mail at: info@Monaco-Consulate.com or visit http://www.monaco-consulate.com/ or http://www.monacotakesnewyork.com/.

Bring the Kids: Families Share Unforgettable Moments in Monaco

From shark lagoons and illuminated cave exploration treks, to tempting excursions and vibrant festivals, a number of family-friendly hotels, engaging activities and unique attractions are redefining Monaco as the family destination of the year.

For more information, please visit http://www.visitmonaco.com/press