The Monegasque way of life

A flag, a motto, an anthem, a language and two major celebrations: these are the landmarks of Monegasque identity.

The red and white flag

The Monegasque flag has two horizontal bands of equal width, red above and white below. These are the colours of the Grimaldi arms, which themselves recall the red and white of the Republic of Genoa, cradle of the princely family. The present design was set by Prince Charles III in 1881.

You may notice how much it looks like the flag of Indonesia: apart from the shade of red and the proportions, the two are almost identical. Over the Palace and official buildings you will also see a white state flag bearing the coat of arms.

The national flag of Monaco. Drawn by User:SKopp, Public domain

Coat of arms and motto

The Grimaldi shield is "fusilly argent and gules", covered with elongated white and red lozenges. It is held by two monks raising a sword: they recall the capture of the fortress in 1297 by François Grimaldi and his companions, disguised as monks.

Below the shield, a scroll carries the motto "Deo Juvante", "With God’s help". It was already the motto of Lambert Grimaldi in the 15th century.

The arms of Monaco, with the two monks and the motto. Ssolbergj, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Monegasque anthem

The anthem began in the 1840s as a patriotic song. The notary Théophile Bellando, a poet and musician, wrote it in 1841 in reply to songs hostile to the Prince then circulating. The composer Castil-Blaze, a guest of Prince Florestan I, wrote down the tune and harmonised it.

In 1848 the National Guard adopted it as its rallying song. Charles Albrecht later arranged it for piano, and Léon Jehin created the modern orchestration in 1914. In 1931 Louis Notari wrote lyrics in the Monegasque language, which are the official words today.

The Monegasque language

Monaco’s official language is French. Alongside it lives Monegasque, "munegascu", a dialect of Ligurian origin close to Genoese. For a long time it was mostly spoken: Louis Notari began codifying its spelling in 1927, and he wrote the first book in Monegasque, "A Legenda de Santa Devota".

Close to disappearing in the 20th century, it is now taught in schools. Every year since 1981, the Town Hall has held a Monegasque language competition for pupils. You may see Monaco’s name in Monegasque, "Mu̍negu". To say thank you: "merçi̍".

19 November, National Day

Since the 19th century, the sovereign’s day has traditionally been set on the feast of the reigning prince’s patron saint. Prince Rainier III chose 19 November, the feast of Blessed Rainier of Arezzo, and this date has applied since 1952.

19 November is still National Day today. On the evening before, fireworks are usually set off over Port Hercule, and on the day itself the Condamine market is decked out for the celebration.

Saint Devota, 27 January

Saint Devota is the patron saint of Monaco. According to tradition, this young Christian was martyred in Corsica around the year 304. Her body, placed in a boat, is said to have been guided by a dove to the shore of Monaco, where it came aground on 27 January. A small church is dedicated to her in the valley, beside today’s circuit.

The celebrations last 2 days. On the evening of 26 January, after a procession on the harbour, a symbolic boat is set alight by the Prince and the princely family in memory of the saint. On the morning of the 27th, a pontifical mass is held in the cathedral, followed by a procession on the Rock. 27 January is a public holiday in the Principality.

The church of Sainte-Dévote, in the valley of the same name. Matthew Hartley from Helmshore, Lancashire, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0

Official language: French
Traditional language: Monegasque (munegascu)
Motto: Deo Juvante, "With God’s help"
Flag: Red and white, set in 1881
National Day: 19 November
Patron saint: Saint Devota, 27 January
Resident population (2025): 38,857 residents (IMSEE)