The
Prince's Palace of Monaco is the
official residence of the
Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a
Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the
Grimaldi family who first captured it in 1297. The Grimaldi ruled the area first as
feudal lords, and from the 17th century as
sovereign princes, but their power was often derived from fragile agreements with their larger and stronger neighbours.