2024Sepac - The Prince's Palace - First Day Cover

To illustrate this year's SEPAC theme focused on “major tourist attractions”, the choice of the Prince's Palace and the Palace Guards seemed obvious. Started by the Genoese in 1215, the construction work on the ramparts of the Rock brought out a fortress which, through successive transformations, became in the 17th century a sumptuous residence very characteristic of this period. Prince Honoré II brought together rich collections of works of art, which unfortunately disappeared during the French Revolution during which the Palace was pillaged and served as a military hospital. Placed under the aegis of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, the conservation-restoration campaigns of the frescoes unearthed in the Gallery of Hercules and in the State Apartments dating back to the Italian Renaissance have strengthened the Palace of Monaco’s place in the history of global art. Not only is this due to the scale of the discoveries, but also the innovative and sustainable approach to their restoration. The Prince's Palace is a residence imbued with both splendor and serenity, whose protection is ensured by the Palace Guards.