He owned Société des Bains de Mer and Cercle des Etrangers à Monaco for 50 years. He came from Homburg, a German spa town whose prosperity he had assured. It went on to be a huge success.įrançois Blanc was the man for the job. Five years after the first stone was laid, the Casino opened in spring 1863. Around the Casino, beautiful hotels will be built that will have nothing to fear from comparisons with those in Paris, London and New York’. The press at the time noted the Prince's aim for the town: ‘The new Société des Bains de Mer Casino will soon rise up on a monumental scale. It was Prince Charles III, successor to Prince Florestan I, who initiated the creation of a new quarter in Monaco. In 1863, the Plateau des Spélugues on which the Casino was built was nothing more than arid land used to cultivate typical Mediterranean plant species: olive, citrus and orange trees. Since its creation, Société des Bains de Mer has always played a key role in Monaco, adapting to modernity and predicting new trends.
Founded in 1863 by Royal Decree of Prince Charles III, this extraordinary company participated in the birth of Monte Carlo and its first glory days. The history of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer and that of Monaco are intricately linked.