Fort Antoine

At the eastern tip of the Rock stands Fort Antoine, a small fortress with thick walls. It was built at the very start of the eighteenth century under Prince Antoine I, when Europe was torn apart by the War of the Spanish Succession. Its task was simple: guard the harbour entrance and keep enemy ships at bay. Damaged over the years, it was restored in the mid twentieth century and given a new and far more peaceful purpose. Its rampart walk now forms an open air amphitheatre, where plays and concerts are staged on summer evenings, with the sea as a backdrop. Climb onto the terraces: the view over Port Hercule and Monte Carlo is one of the finest in the principality. Out of season the place is often empty, perfect for a quiet break. Picture the sentries of old scanning the horizon, where yachts now glide past.

History

The fort bears the name of its builder, Prince Antoine I, who reigned from 1701 to 1731. He had it built in the early 18th century, during the War of the Spanish Succession, to protect the harbour of Monaco. Beneath the platform, underground barracks were laid out, equipped with a cistern to withstand a siege.

The 20th century brought it a dramatic fate. In 1943, after the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, Germany took control of Monaco and turned the fort into a munitions depot. On 3 September 1944, at the moment of liberation, the retreating German troops blew it up. In 1953 Prince Rainier III had it rebuilt, no longer for war but for performance. Since 1970 it has served as an open-air theatre.

Art and architecture

The rebuilding kept the military look of the site. Spot the bartizan, the small lookout turret clinging to the corner of the wall, from which sentries watched the sea. In the centre of the theatre, a pyramid of cannonballs recalls the fort’s original purpose.

The parapet is lined with pittosporum hedges, an evergreen Mediterranean shrub that frames the view without hiding it. The tiers surround an open-air stage, with the sea and sky as the only backdrop.

Anecdotes

The fort’s stage has hosted plays by great authors, including Jean Cocteau, Jean Giraudoux and William Shakespeare. The Audiovisual Institute of Monaco also occasionally holds film screenings here under the stars.

The site has also had its moment in cinema: a scene of the James Bond film GoldenEye, released in 1995, was shot at the Fort Antoine Theatre.

Think of the contrast: a building designed to keep the enemy at bay, then reduced to ruins by a retreating army, has become a place where people come to enjoy theatre in summer.

What to look for

Climb to the top of the tiers and turn north: Port Hercule, Monte-Carlo and the coast towards Italy stretch out before you. Early in the morning or late in the day, the light is especially soft.

Walk round the parapet to find the bartizan and the pyramid of cannonballs, then picture Antoine I’s soldiers watching for enemy sails at the harbour entrance.

Practical

The fort stands on Avenue de la Quarantaine, at the north-eastern tip of the Rock, about 10 minutes’ walk from the Palace Square along the ramparts. You can also climb up from the harbour by the steps and paths that scale the cliff.

Access conditions vary with the season, and on summer show nights the theatre welcomes ticket holders: check the season’s programme on the Monaco town hall website or on visitmonaco.com.

Nearby

From the fort, continue along the ramparts to the nearby Oceanographic Museum, then on to the Saint-Martin Gardens. To understand the military history of the Rock, link this visit with the Palace, which also began life as a fortress.

Test yourself

Sources

• Wikipedia: Fort Antoine Theatre
• Wikipedia: Teatro Fort Antoine

Information checked on 30 September 2026.