Antonio I, Prince of Monaco
Antonio I (25 January 1661 – 20 February 1731) 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.
| Antonio I | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud, c. 1706 | |
| Prince of Monaco | |
| Reign | 3 January 1701 – 20 February 1731 |
| Predecessor | Louis I |
| Successor | Louise Hippolyte |
| Born | 25 January 1661 |
| Died | 20 February 1731 (aged 70) |
| Spouse | Marie of Lorraine |
| Issue more... | Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco Antoine Grimaldi (ill.) |
| House | Grimaldi |
| Father | Louis I, Prince of Monaco |
| Mother | Catherine Charlotte de Gramont |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
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 (1688), the Battle of Fleurus (1690), the Siege of Mons (1691), and the Siege of Namur (1692).
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 and 1708.