5, boulevard de Belgique
Continuous guided tours
Opening hours : 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum of the Princes of Monaco and Their Guards traces the historical and military adventure of the Principality of Monaco since 1817. On the occasion of the 30th Heritage Days, which will focus on architectural heritage, the Museum of the Princes and Their Guards will present a history of the places where the carabiniers have lived over the last 150 years.
History : from a police function to guarding the Prince’s Palace
Disbanded during the Revolution, Monaco’s armed forces were reorganized in 1815, consisting of a corps of sailors known as the Canotiers de la Garde de Son Altesse Sérénissime (Sailors of His Serene Highness’s Guard). They provided personal protection for the Prince and the Palace, and also performed police duties. The Menton Police Guard was called upon on December 8, 1817, taking the name Corps des Carabiniers, which was tasked with replacing the Canotiers de la Garde in 1822. From 1870 onwards, the carabiniers were assigned to maintain public order in the Principality.
In order to provide honor guard service at the Palace, Prince Charles III founded the Prince’s Guard Company, composed of French soldiers. Mobilized during the Franco-Prussian War, they were replaced by Papalins, soldiers from the former papal army of Pope Pius IX, which was disbanded in 1870. Satisfied with the police services provided by the Carabiniers, Prince Albert I ordered their return to the Palace to replace the Papalins. The Prince’s Guard Company was disbanded on January 26, 1904, and replaced by the current Prince’s Carabiniers Company.
The Prince’s Carabiniers Corps in its current form: between tradition and modernity
Article I of the statutes of the Public Force defines the missions of the Prince’s Carabiniers Company as follows: “To ensure Our security, guard the Palace, its outbuildings, Our properties and residences, and provide Us with honorary services. To ensure the enforcement of laws and participate in maintaining public order. To carry out the missions ordered by Us. The general duties (guarding the Princely Palace with the daily changing of the guard ceremony at 11:55 a.m., police duties, etc.) are complemented by honorary services, participation in official, civil, and religious ceremonies, military parades, and marches.
Architectural heritage: the living quarters of the Carabiniers
The Prince’s Carabiniers Company currently has 125 military personnel, housed mainly in three barracks: the Moneghetti barracks, the Saint-Sébastien barracks, and the Palace barracks. In the past, other buildings have been used in various locations throughout the territory. The architectural heritage is reflected in various barracks, closely linked to the urban development of the Principality and the changing numbers of military personnel. Initially housed in private homes or at their own expense, the 25 men who made up the Carabiniers Company in the 19th century maintained close ties with the population throughout the Principality. In order to ensure greater rigor in the performance of their military duties, they were gradually quartered in barracks from 1880 onwards. Various locations were used to house the soldiers (Rocher, Condamine, Fort Antoine, Saint-Roman, the former convent, etc.) and were transformed according to numerous factors linked to the history of the Principality and the Carabiniers Corps: earthquakes, political decisions, and changes in material and human needs.
During Heritage Days 2025, you will be able to discover the history of these barracks, accompanied by some previously unseen period photographs, right up to the current, more modern and functional barracks, which were inaugurated on January 22, 1977, by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace.