The Ancient Grimaldi Fiefs – Valentinois

The bell tower of the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Croix in Montélimar, the chief town of the duchy, where Honoré II was formally received in 1646. To the right, a crossed orb drawn from Montélimar's coat of arms. Upper right: the issuing state "MONACO" before the lozenge shield; left: the year "2026" and the mint marks of the Monnaie de Paris and Master Engraver Joaquin Jimenez. Along the lower rim: the commemorative inscription "DUCHÉ DE VALENTINOIS".

The Duchy of Valentinois was a fief in the Dauphiné whose history is closely tied to the House of Grimaldi. The region around Montélimar was for centuries one of the most coveted territories of southern France: strategically located between the Rhône and the Alps, it was a bone of contention between French nobles and the small Principality of Monaco. Honoré II, the first Prince of Monaco from the House of Grimaldi, received the Duchy of Valentinois in 1642 from Louis XIII in exchange for placing Monaco under French protection — a development that shaped relations between the two states for generations. His ceremonial reception in Montélimar in 1646 marked the symbolic assumption of the title and remains a reference point in Monégasque aristocratic history to this day.

The title "Duke of Valentinois" has since remained a fixed part of the ruling titles of the Princes of Monaco. It reflects the close entanglement of the small state with the French feudal system of the early modern era and explains why Monaco, despite its sovereignty, is so deeply embedded in the history of Provence and Languedoc. The town of Montélimar, today known chiefly for its nougat, was thus historically an outpost of Monégasque rule on the mainland. Monaco's 2026 2-euro commemorative coin honours this title as part of the dynastic heritage of the House of Grimaldi.