Grimaldi

See also: Grimaldi (homonymy)

The Grimaldi are a family of origin génoise which has several branches, of which a reign on Monaco.

The history of the Grimaldi house is inextricably related to those of the Republic of Genoa and the Principauté of Monaco. The Grimaldi family goes down from Grimaldo, a statesman génois at the time of the first Croisades, which became Consul of Genoa into 1162,1170 and still in 1184. Its innumerable grandchildren and their offspring carried out maritime forwardings of scales on water of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and soon of the the North Sea, and asserted themselves quickly like one of the most powerful families of the Commune of Genoa.

Grimaldi feared that a rival family had not suddenly broken the fragile political balance by a coup d'etat which would have imposed a lord to them, as one could see it in other Italian cities. They entered an alliance Guelfes with the family Fieschi and defended their interests with the point of the sword. Having wiped a bloody reverse, Guelfes were banished city-state in 1271, and found refuge in their forts of Ligurie and in Provence. Faithful to the Angevins, they signed a treaty with Charles of Anjou, king de Naples and count de Provence, in order to take again the control of Genoa and, more generally, to promise a mutual assistance. In 1276, they accepted a peace negotiated under the auspices of the Pope. It was however only one pause which was not to put an end to the chronic state of war civil. All Grimaldi did not return to Genoa, and some chose to be established in their Fief S, where they could more easily raise armies.

In 1299, Grimaldi and their allies did not hesitate to launch galères to the attack of the wearing of Genoa, before being cut off from Riviera Western. During the following years, Grimaldi were going to adapt their alliances to the circumstances, thus enabling them to return in force in the institutions génoises. This time, it was the turn of their rival, the family Spinola, to be banished city. During all this period, the parties Guelfes and Gibelins took and gave up in turn the castle génois of Monaco, which was located perfectly for launching political operations and soldiers against Genoa. Consequently, we should consider the beautiful story of François Grimaldi - which, in 1297, was introduced malicieusement within the fort of Monaco equipped as a monk franciscain - as primarily anecdotic.

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Catalans harassed the coasts with Provence and Ligurie, thus defying the power of Genoa, and King Robert in Provence. In 1353, a armada of eighty galères Venetian and Catalan gathered off Sardinia to face the fleet of sixty vessels under the command of Antoine Grimaldi. Only nineteen galères génoises survived this bloody naval battle. Fearing an invasion or a blockade on behalf of the Venetian ones, Genoa rua to put itself under the protection of the lord of Milan, drawing aside Grimaldi of the capacity again.

Several of the oldest feudal branches of the Grimaldi House appeared during these many disorders, the such branches of Antibes, Bueil, Nice, Puget, and Sicily. In 1395, Grimaldi benefitted from the discord in Genoa to seize Monaco, that these Co-lords directed collectively in joint possession. One sees there the origin of the current principality.

Like the other génoises big families, Grimaldi organized their family ties within a company called Albergo . In the institutional reform of 1528, this former seigneuriale family became one of the twenty-eight alberghi of the Republic of Genoa. The Grimaldi House provides many famous characters such as Doge S, cardinal, seneshals, podestats, ministers, governors, bankers, and a panoply of officers, knights of Malta and feudal lords.

Of a great simplicity, the weapons of the Grimaldi House are tapering of money and Gueules, i.e. red rhombuses on white zone. The principal branches are generally characterized by their holding and cimiers.

External bonds

the Grimaldi House - History and Genealogy

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