The Ancient Grimaldi Fiefs – Carladès

Centre: the House of the Princes of Monaco at Vic-sur-Cère (Cantal) in the viscounty of Carladès. Along the upper rim: the issuing state "MONACO" before the lozenge shield to the left and the leopard lion — heraldic beast of Carlat — to the right. Along the lower rim: the commemorative inscription "COMTÉ DE CARLADÈS"; along the right edge: the year "2025" and the mint marks of the Monnaie de Paris and Master Engraver Joaquin Jimenez.

The Carladès is a historic region in what is now the Cantal department in the Auvergne, permanently linked to Monaco by the Treaty of Péronne of 1641. In this treaty, Prince Honoré II Grimaldi turned away from Spanish protection and placed Monaco under French protection — a shift that would shape the principality's foreign policy orientation for generations. In return, King Louis XIII elevated the viscounty of Carlat to the County of Carladès in 1643 and granted it to Honoré II along with other fiefs such as the barony of Calvinet. The rocky plateau of Carlat, once home to a major fortress before its demolition under Louis XIII, thus became part of the Grimaldi holdings — a territorial link between the Mediterranean principality and the high Auvergne in central France, barely noticeable in the daily lives of either region's population, yet one that has historically persisted to this day.

The title of Comte de Carladès has never lapsed within the House of Grimaldi. The connection between Monaco and the Cantal has taken material form over the centuries: in Vic-sur-Cère, the main town of the former fief, stands the House of the Princes of Monaco, which served as the princely family's summer residence and has been preserved. The French Revolution interrupted Grimaldi rule over the Carladès de facto, but the title was never formally relinquished. Today it is held by Princess Gabriella, daughter of Prince Albert II. The Monegasque 2-euro commemorative coin of 2025 takes this ancient fief as an occasion to draw attention to a little-known side of Grimaldi history that extends far beyond the famous rock on the Côte d'Azur.