Rock of Monaco Rock of Monaco The Rock of Monaco () is a tall monolith on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and the port. The Rock has been a coveted possession from the beginning of the ancient Massilian colony of Monoïkos (Greek: Μόνοικος), named for the Ligurian tribes who occupied the area and vied for control of it; even earlier, it was a shelter for primitive populations. The Rock of Monaco was also the first conquest of the Grimaldi dynasty, the rulers of the country for more than 700 years, founded when the Guelf Francesco
Prince's Palace of Monaco a steady stream of visitors from Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon. Later the Phoenicians came to trade silk, oil, and spices with the natives. It was the Phoenicians who introduced to this area of the Mediterranean their god Melkart, later known by the Romans as "Hercules Monoikos". It was after this god that the Romans renamed the area "Portus Hercules Moneici", which has evolved to the present name of Monaco. The seat of the Prince of Monaco was established on the Rocher de Monaco ("Illustration 5") as a fortress in 1191 when the harbour, that is today lined by Monte Carlo,