The green heart of the Fontvieille district
With a total surface area of four hectares, the Fontvieille Landscaped Park is one of the green lungs of the Principality of Monaco, alongside the Exotic Garden, the Jardins Saint-Martin & Sainte-Barbe and the Jardins du Casino de Monte-Carlo. While part of this area is given over to the Espace Fontvieille Big Top, home to the legendary Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, the park can be explored from the Heliport to the pretty Place du Campanin. Rows of palms, Mediterranean trees and an aquatic pool add to the pleasure of strolling through this haven of peace, located below Monaco-Ville and close to the Port of Fontvieille.
In the middle of this lush garden stand the majestic roses that have made the Princess Grace Rose Garden famous the world over. Created in 1984, the garden boasts more than 450 varieties of rose, spread over 5,000 m², with areas dedicated to specific types of flowers: Grimaldi Family Roses, prize-winning plants from the International Competition of New Roses of Monaco and tapestry and shrub species all live together in this must-see spot in the Principality.
A landscaped park ideal for families
For a long time, the landscaped park was populated by venerable swans, who made the reputation of the site. Today, the garden's main pond, known as the " Fontvieille pond ", which was renovated in 2020 with a promenade accessible to people with reduced mobility, is also home to turtles, fish and ducks in clear water. Dragonflies can also be seen here, symbolising the rich biotope that constantly gravitates around the aquatic part of the park.
A Playground, between the Rose Garden and the Marquee, adds a touch of fun and relaxation to family visits. There are slides, swings and climbing walls in two areas, one for the under-fives and the other for the over-sixes.
An artistic journey
An aesthete and patron of the arts, Prince Rainier III turned Monaco into an open-air museum. The Chemin des Sculptures Rainier III, maintained by the Institut du Patrimoine, includes almost 200 sculptures that can be seen in every part of the Principality. The landscaped Fontvieille Park is the setting for some twenty works of art scattered along its paths. The ballerinas of Passo a due , not far from the Princess Grace Rose Garden, sculpted by Sauro Cavallini, remind visitors to the park of Monaco's penchant for the art of choreography. Another sculpture, another theme: the Universal Fountain of Children's Rights, inaugurated in 2000, by Franco Maschio, features a clown surrounded by five children (symbols of the five continents). It's a fitting way to honour this major cause, and to highlight the fountain's proximity to one of the world's leading circus venues!
And close to the ducks, swans and other animals in the Fontvieille basin, keen observers will be able to contemplate one of the most famous sculptures in the Fontvieille landscape park: La Grande Laveuse, sculpted by Richard Guino to a design by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. This pretty bronze with an aquatic theme recalls the many bathers painted by the famous French artist, who turned to sculpture towards the end of his life.
Blake Ward, André Masson, Victor Ochoa, Roberto Barni... Some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary sculpture are among the bronzes to be discovered at the Fontvieille Landscape Park. All you have to do is activate the geolocation function on your mobile phone and use the interactive map available at https://cheminsculpturesrainier3.mc/carte-interactive/ to follow the works of art that dot the paths, lawns and ponds...