Antonio I, Prince of Monaco
Antonio I was the sovereign Prince of Monaco from 1701 to 1731. He was the elder son of Louis I of Monaco and Catherine Charlotte de Gramont.
In 1683, Antonio was named lieutenant in the Régiment du Roi Infanterie. In 1684, he was named colonel of the regiment of Soissonois. During the Nine Years War he was present at the Battle of Philippsburg, the Battle of Fleurus, the Siege of Mons, and the Siege of Namur.
On 21 August 1702, Antonio took the oath to King Louis XIV of France in the Parlement on account of being Duke of Valentinois and a Peer of France. He was made a knight of the French royal orders in 1724.
He "completed the fortifications of the Rock of Monaco, constructed the Oreillon and the Fort Antoine." Finally, he formed a "brilliant Court in his palace." He constructed the Rampe Major in 1714; this was an improved road connecting La Condamine to the "platform of the peninsula." The Oreillon tower commanding the ramp leading to the Palais Princier was constructed between 1707-1708.Marriage and children
Antonio married 13 June 1688 Marie de Lorraine, "Mademoiselle d'Armagnac", daughter of Louis, Count of Armagnac.
They had six daughters, of whom only three survived infancy :
- Caterina Charlotte, "Mademoiselle de Monaco".
- Louise Hippolyte, successor of her father.
- Elisabetta Charlotte, "Mademoiselle de Valentinois".
- Margherita Camilla, "Mademoiselle de Carlades"; married on 16 April 1720 to Louis de Gand-Vilain, Prince of Isenghien and marshal of France.
- Maria Devota, "Mademoiselle des Baux".
- Maria Paolina Theresa Devota, "Mademoiselle de Chabreuil'".
Antonio also had a number of illegitimate children:
- with Elisabeth Durfort
- *Antoine Grimaldi, known as the Chevalier de Grimaldi
- with Victoire Vertu
- *Antoinette Grimaldi, called mademoiselle de Saint-Rémy''
- with an unknown woman
- *Louise Marie Thérèse Grimaldi
Ancestors
