Monaco: closer to Italian or French culture?

Both in equal measure, but overall closer to Italian.

OHH MYYY GODD. BRO THAT UNFORTUNATE POST SHOULD BE MY SIGNATURE

MEET THIS GIRL, HER NAME IS OBJECTIVITY. SHE IS DYING NOW -- MAYBE ALREADY DEAD.

[Robocop]

OHH MYYY GODD. BRO THAT UNFORTUNATE POST SHOULD BE MY SIGNATURE

[MinervaItalica]

Monaco is Monaco.

It's not that easy. They are a small state it's normal that they are affected by the influence of near countries.

Even San Marino is San Marino but its culture is typical Italian.

[Ouistreham]

I REPEAT FOR THE RECORDS, REGARDING THE QUESTION IN THIS THREAD S TITLE,
IF I AM GOING TO CHOOSE AN ANSWER, THE ANSWER IS TODAY MONACO IS CLOSER TO FRENCH CULTURE THAN TO ITALIAN ONE.

Obviously. Monaco has been fully absorbed by its Provence-Côte d'Azur environment.
And the second most spoken language is English, not Italian.

On the other hand, Andorra is Catalan first, then Spanish (and even Iberian due to the number of Portuguese migrants), but not much French.

[MinervaItalica]

And the second most spoken language is English, not Italian.

Mmm no

http://www.studycountry.com/guide/MC-language.htm

http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t15637.htm

English is used by the tourists.

[Oddone]

It's not that easy. They are a small state it's normal that they are affected by the influence of near countries.

Even San Marino is San Marino but its culture is typical Italian.

San Marino is typically Italian because is surrounded by Italian territories, technically is in central Italy, doesn't border with foreign states and never did. On the other hand, if compared to Rome, Monaco has always been more geographically peripheral than San Marino.

Minerva, have you ever been to Monaco? I don't agree with the users who say that Monaco is now average France. Monaco is now surrounded by French territories and clearly underwent a huge process of Frenchification. Monaco is now closer to France, there is nothing wrong to admit it, but Monaco is an international micro-state more than a typical Provence-Côte d'Azur town or village.

Of course, there is more to add. Monaco especially in the old town, Monaco Vecchia, still shows its Ligurian past (and to be honest, there is a common shared substrate among the French riviera and the Ligurian riviera), Monegascu is clearly a Ligurian language, and the principality is part of région géographique italienne.

The Frenchification of Monaco is due to historical factors, it was a forced choice, but for some aspects, perhaps also a natural process. With the Plombières Agreement (1859) in return for an alliance with French against the Austrians, Piedmont (Kingdom of Sardinia) was forced to cede to France the County of Nice (including Monaco) and the Savoy. France recognized the existence of the Principality of Monaco (The Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861), but France annexed 95% of its former territory (the areas of Mentone and Roccabruna). With this loss of territory, Monaco was deprived of its economic resources and of access to its raw materials, and Carlo III Grimaldi opted for Monaco to become an international tourist center. Because since then Monaco is in the French sphere of influence, has changed dramatically. But we must be totally honest, the Monegasque branch of the Grimaldi family was in the French sphere of influence since 1700, since before Piedmont lose control of these territories. And it is quite obvious that Monaco has linked its fame to the tourist success of the French Riviera and that's how it is presented to tourists.

French played one's cards right, but Italians were busy in a more important process, the unification of Italy (you know, Italy that had been disunited for 1,400 years, since the fall of the Roman Empire). Since it was not at all obvious that unification would be successful, the Italianity of Nice and Monaco took second place and was sacrificed.

Monaco in 1890


Monaco in 2016

[MinervaItalica]

Minerva, have you ever been to Monaco? I don't agree with the users who say that Monaco is now average France. Monaco is now surrounded by French territories and clearly underwent a huge process of Frenchification. Monaco is now closer to France, there is nothing wrong to admit it, but Monaco is an international micro-state more than a typical Provence-Côte d'Azur town or village.

Not personally but i've family members who have been there. I personally think it's a mix of both for this reason i didn't vote in the poll. In any case Monaco has Mediterranean culture.

Monegascu is clearly a Ligurian language, and the principality is part of région géographique italienne.

The area was also inhabited by Ligurians (Italic tribe).

[Oddone]

Not personally but i've family members who have been there. I personally think it's a mix of both for this reason i didn't vote in the poll. In any case Monaco has Mediterranean culture.

That's for sure. All the French riviera is quintessential Mediterranean coast.

The area was also inhabited by Ligurians (Italic tribe).

Ligurians weren't Italic. They were Celtizied pre-Indo Europeans (the so called Celto-Ligurians).

[MinervaItalica]

Ligurians weren't Italic. They were Celtizied pre-Indo Europeans (the so called Celto-Ligurians).

True my mistake.

[Robocop]

Is Vatican Italian or Catholic overall for all?

Joking