Prince's Palace of Monaco Prince's Palace of Monaco The Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign 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. Thus
Coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty Coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty The coat of arms of the Bagrationi dynasty has been used by the former royal family of Georgia and its descendants. It is a symbol of the Bagrationi dynasty, which claims the erstwhile Georgian crown. In the arms of the Mukhrani branch of the family, the shield is quartered by the cross, depicting: in the first quarter, the harp and the sling, attributes of the biblical King David from whom the dynasty claimed their descent; in the second, the crossed sword and scepter crowned with the globus cruciger; in the third, a pair