The Prince's Palace of Monaco has acquired a rare 17th-century manuscript that enriches its historical collections and highlights an overlooked figure from the principality's intellectual past.
The manuscript, titled Teatro del Mondo (Theater of the World), dates to 1609 and is an original work by Gio Francesco Mono, a Monégasque scholar and surgeon born in Monaco in 1563. Mono practiced as a surgeon in Genoa from 1613 to 1642, while pursuing wide-ranging studies in the sciences and knowledge of his era. Alongside his medical career, he authored several works of scientific curiosity. One of them, L'Arte della vera Navigazione (The Art of True Navigation), was dedicated to Prince Honoré II of Monaco (reigned 1597–1662).
The Teatro del Mondo stands out as a comprehensive compendium of Renaissance-era knowledge, drawing together ancient learning and contemporary discoveries. It covers subjects including astronomy, astrology, navigation, medicine, and human anatomy, with attention to the bodies of both men and women. Beyond its intellectual scope, the manuscript is a small artistic treasure: it features numerous hand-drawn illustrations by the author himself - realistic sketches, some incorporating movable elements.
The acquisition aligns with the ongoing policy of Prince Albert II to rebuild the principality's historic princely collections and to gather exceptional works connected to Monaco's history and its sovereigns. The manuscript's return to Monaco underscores the palace library's role as a custodian of such unique artifacts tied to the territory's heritage.
Photo credits: Loïc Repiquet / Palais princier