Monte-Carlo

Monte-Carlo

Monte-Carlo harbour

Place du Casino

Monte-Carlo, resort, one of the four quartiers (sections) of Monaco. It is situated on an escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera, on the Mediterranean, just northeast of Nice, France. In 1856 Prince Charles III of Monaco granted a charter allowing a joint stock company to build a casino. The casino opened in 1861, and five years later the district around it was declared by the prince to be Monte-Carlo. To revitalize the principality’s economy, Monte-Carlo was transformed into a luxuriously beautiful playground for the world’s rich. The casino includes an opera house (1878). The International Sporting Club (1932) is nearby. The gambling tables are open only to visitors to Monaco. The casino operating company, which was taken over by the government in 1967, contributes less than 5 percent of the annual state budget. High-rise hotels and apartment buildings have replaced many of Monte-Carlo’s picturesque villas. Pop. (2008) 14,586; (2016) 17,372.