The documents up for sale were presumed lost forever: Their whereabouts had been unknown for seven centuries. But on May 28, , the day of the auction, the city of Antibes and its princely ally won the bid, and shortly afterward the parchments arrived — one could say — back home.
The association of Antibes and Monaco royalty has indelible roots. The House of Grimaldi, founded in the 12 th century, were pivotal players in the history of the Republic of Genoa, and in the Principality of Monaco, where the dynasty has reigned to this day with Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, as its current head.
Literally no one. But Emilie, my manager-friend at the agency, told me that, non , she and her colleagues were not swamped with bookings. In fact, I was the first. Which is shocking because the new toy is a collection to behold. The craftmanship becomes even more impressive after remembering that the ink was laid onto the vellum using the tip of a long, straight, goose feather.
Without the convenience of Wite-Out or a backspace key. They are worth seeing. The oldest of the four document dates from and relates to an important inheritance involving more than one castle by Katherine, daughter of Marc de Grimaldi, from her maternal grandfather. Marc de Grimaldi — keep reading — was a key figure in the Antibes branch of the Grimaldi family.
The lettering of this document is arguably the most beautiful among the four, with its initial word invoking a frenzy of flourishes and filigree. The Catholic Church recently had divided, with two and later three men simultaneously claiming to be the true Pope. Before arranging the disposition, the antipope had removed Antibes from the portfolio of the bishop of Grasse, thereby bringing the territory back under the jurisdiction of the Papal Treasury.
