Cagnes sur Mer Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur France

The first Grimaldi prince ascends the throne of Monaco in 1304.

The Grimaldi family descends from Grimaldo, a Genovese statesman at the time of the first Crusades.

He was the son of Otto Canella, a Consul of Genoa in 1133, and in turn Grimaldo became a Consul in 1160, 1170 and again in 1184.

His numerous grandsons and their children had led maritime expeditions throughout the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and soon the North Sea, and quickly became one of the most powerful families of Genoa.

The Grimaldis, who feared that the head of a rival Genoese family could break the fragile balance of power in a political coup and become lord of Genoa, as it happened in other Italian cities, had entered into a Guelphic alliance with the Fieschi family and defended their interests with the sword.

The Guelphs however were banned from the City in 1271, and found refuge in their castles of Liguria and in Provence.

They had signed a treaty with Charles of Anjou, King of Naples and Count of Provence, to retake control of Genoa, and generally to provide mutual assistance.

In 1276, they had accepted a peace under the auspices of the Pope, which however did not put an end to the civil war.

Not all the Grimaldis had chosen to return to Genoa, as some preferred to settle in their fiefdoms, where they could raise armies.

In 1299, the Grimaldis and their allies had launched a few galleys to attack the port of Genoa before taking refuge on the Western Riviera.

During the following years, the Grimaldis will enter into different alliances that would allow them to come back in force.

This time, it is the turn of their rivals, the Spinola family, to be banned from the City.

During all this period, both Guelphs and Ghibellines will take and abandon the castle of Monaco, which is ideally located to launch political and military operations against Genoa.

Therefore, the story of Francis Grimaldi and his faction – who had conquered the Ghibelline castle of Monaco under the disguise of friars in 1297 – is largely anecdotal.

The Grimaldis would not control it permanently until 1419.

Ranier I, oldest of the three sons of Lanfranco Grimaldi, French Vicar of Provence, by his wife, Aurelia del Carretto (who later remarried with her late husband's nephew, François Grimaldi), had joined his stepfather and a group of men to take the castle on the Rock of Monaco; the event is commemorated on the Monegasque coat of arms, where the supporters are two monks armed with swords (because Francois dressed as monk and opened the gates of Monaco's castle).

Rainier had held the citadel of Monaco for four years before departing on April 10, 1301.

The first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco, he also holds the title of Lord of Cagnes, Cagnes being the town where in 1309 he establishes a stronghold, today known as the Chateau Grimaldi.