From this week until August 6, the Club de Mar Mallorca is hosting the exhibition “Monaco and Spain: Five Centuries of Shared History,” organized by the Embassy of the Principality of Monaco in Spain to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Principality of Monaco’s first diplomatic mission in Spain.
The opening took place on Tuesday, July 21, and was presided over by the Ambassador of Monaco to Spain, Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau, and the President of Club de Mar Mallorca, Borja de la Rosa. The exhibition will also be the first major international cultural show hosted by Club de Mar Mallorca since the complete renovation of its facilities, reinforcing its role as a leading space for culture and the arts.
The exhibition is part of the official commemorative program organized by the Principality of Monaco to commemorate the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two states and to highlight the historical, cultural, and human ties that date back more than five centuries. After its stay in Madrid and Seville, the exhibition now arrives in Palma de Mallorca, before continuing its tour to Santander. The official opening on June 1, 2026, took place in Madrid in the presence of Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, along with Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène of Monaco, in a ceremony held at the Royal Botanical Gardens-CSIC and organized by the Embassy of the Principality of Monaco in Spain.
The exhibition offers a chronological journey through some of the most significant episodes in the shared history of Spain and the Principality of Monaco. Through historical documents, photographs, reproductions, and graphic material of great heritage value, visitors will discover the evolution of diplomatic relations between the two states, the first ties between the House of Grimaldi and the Spanish monarchy, the Spanish Protectorate over Monaco, the restoration of diplomatic relations in the 19th century, the scientific legacy of H.S.H. Prince Albert I, a pioneer of modern oceanography, and the role the Royal Houses have played in strengthening a friendship that remains as solid as ever.
The exhibition offers an informative and accessible view of the shared history of the two countries, highlighting the importance of diplomacy, culture, science, and the Mediterranean as unifying factors. The section on the Balearic Islands takes on particular importance thanks to the inclusion of images from the Casa Planas Foundation and the Casa Planas Archive, which add extraordinary documentary value to the exhibition.
The Princes’ Visits
These include historical photographs of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco’s visits to Mallorca during the 1960s, visual records that form part of the shared visual heritage of the Principality and the Balearic Islands.
The arrival of this exhibition in Palma also represents an opportunity to introduce the Balearic public and international visitors to an essential part of the shared history between Spain and the Principality of Monaco, strengthening the institutional, cultural, and Mediterranean ties that unite both territories.
The maritime tradition of Monaco and the Balearic Islands
The presentation of this exhibition in Palma highlights the close ties between the Principality of Monaco and the Balearic Islands, two territories united by the Mediterranean, a long maritime tradition, and a strong commitment to sustainability, scientific research, and the conservation of the marine environment.
Prince Albert II of Andorra’s official visit to Spain to commemorate this event also coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in Spain, which has established itself as one of the Principality’s main international platforms in the fields of environmental protection, climate action, the blue economy, and biodiversity conservation.
