Monte Carlo
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Casino at night with a fountain in front |
Monte Carlo is the wealthiest of
Monaco's four quarters, sometimes erroneously believed to be the country's capital, even though there formally is none. Monte Carlo is known for its
casinos,
gambling, glamour, and for sightings of famous people. The permanent population is 30,000 (1990 estimate). Monte Carlo quarter includes, not only Monte Carlo proper where the casino is located, but also includes the neighborhoods of
Saint Michel,
Saint Roman/Tenao, and the beach community of
Larvotto.
Monte Carlo is home to most of the
Circuit de Monaco, on which the
Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place; it also hosts world championship
boxing bouts, the
Monte Carlo Masters, fashion shows and other events. Monte Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as commoners and movie stars for decades.
Monte Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist
resorts. Within the casino complex is the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo, an opera and ballet house, and the headquarters of the Ballets de Monte Carlo. In 1861 a 50-year concession to operate the gaming rooms was granted to a private individual. Since 1898 the concession has been operated by the Société des Bains de Mer, a private company, in which the government now holds a majority interest. This corporation also owns the principal hotels and clubs of the community that serve the tourist trade. The citizens of Monaco are exempt from taxes, and they are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms.
In
1873,
Joseph Jagger gained the casino great publicity by "breaking the bank at Monte Carlo" by discovering and capitalizing on a bias in one of the casino's
roulette wheels. Technically, the bank in this sense was the money held on the table by the
croupier. According to an article in
The Times in the late 19th century, it was thus possible to break the bank several times. The 1892 song
The Man that Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, made famous by Charles Colborn, was probably inspired by the exploits of
Charles Wells, who broke the bank on many occasions on the first two of his three trips. The quarter of Monte Carlo was served by
tramways from 1900 to 1953, linking parts of
Monaco.
James Bond, fictional
British spy and protagonist of the Bond book and movie series, frequented the city's glamorous,
Belle Époque casino. This was the model for the casino in
Ian Fleming's first Bond novel,
Casino Royale (1953), "Royale" being a fictional name for Monaco. Monte Carlo and its casino is one of the glamorous locations in the 1995 James Bond Film,
Goldeneye.
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Monte Carlo A visitor guide for Monte Carlo and Monaco
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Monte Carlo - Fullscreen 360 degree Quicktime VR Panorama*
Monaco Portal*
Casino Monte Carlo facts and photography
