We visited the private museum of the Carabinieri of the Prince of Monaco
Uniforms and equipment that belonged to the princes and their personal guards, rifles and handguns, badges, trophies and commemorative medals, photographs and letters… are all exceptional objects and pieces exhibited at the Museum of the Princes of Monaco and Their Guards. Florent Sicart, second class rifleman, takes us on a historical visit.
Originally, this exhibition gallery was a hall of honor within the barracks, now transformed into a cabinet of curiosities. The showcases are filled with pieces, each with their own story. Florent Sicart, rifleman and assistant to the museum, affirms the common will of the barracks: “Here, we do our best to enhance the collection and maintain it. The goal is to present it to whoever wants to see it.”
An obvious lack of space
Impossible to quantify the collection as it has grown over the years. And this opulence is beginning to pose a problem. The museum therefore tries to set up a rotation in the exhibition of objects. “Our main constraint is space. It becomes complicated for us, we wonder what to highlight and what to store.”
Founded on December 8, 1817, the Company has continued to evolve. Specialties have been put on hold and others have been created more recently, such as the drone cell. The museum devotes several showcases to different specialties, and there are many of them. “The music – Florent Sicart is part of the orchestra and plays the bugle during the changing of the guard – the bikers, the courier in charge of delivering the mail, the canine group. Added to this are the sailors of the princely yachts. Prince Rainier had several yachts in his possession, he had then, from 1942, detached the Carabinieri to serve on board.
Some shelving overflows but is not complete. “We must expand and add new specialties such as deminers. It turns out that we are still missing a lot of elements. We don’t have any sailor uniforms, just the badges and some photos.”
A collection enriched by donations
To complete its panoply, the Company, with 124 Carabinieri, sometimes opts for original methods. “In addition to going to the auction room, we conduct our investigation on eBay. That way we were able to make some finds!”
And that’s without counting on the generous Monegasques, thanks to whom the collection is destined to grow perpetually. “Families of former carabinieri contact us again to donate or loan their ancestors’ personal effects.”
The museum accepted as far as possible if everything is in good condition. It nevertheless happens that certain elements go through the restoration box before being exposed.
The Prince’s Palace still retains its place as the first benefactor. When the museum was founded, it was only supposed to house the outfits of princes. Generous, the palace lent some of Prince Albert I’s outfits, Prince Louis II’s uniforms, as well as Prince Rainier’s helmet when he was a child.
The museum will participate in Heritage Day
The gallery has never ceased to expand and the latest events attend. “We are devoting a part to the princely wedding of 2011 and the baptism of 2015. It is true that we could almost make a Covid showcase as well. During this period, the Carabinieri supplemented their uniforms with masks stamped with the Carabinieri logo. An integral part of the outfit for a time, the masks were white in summer, black in winter.
The pieces that transform the shelves of the museum are therefore often acquired by chance. Sometimes it is enough to provoke luck, and it is on the occasion of Monaco Heritage Day that Florent Sicart hopes to see old families again. “This will be an opportunity to bond and see if they are reduced to donating.” On Sunday 25 September, the museum will therefore be open to everyone and for the whole day.
Know +
The museum does not have fixed hours. Located within the barracks, a military enclosure, you have to call the Company upstream to organize a visit. Depending on the availability of the carabinieri of the historic cell, private visits of one to two hours are scheduled.
How to become a rifleman?
It is not given to everyone to become a rifleman. Recruitment is carried out by means of a competitive examination comprising tests of general knowledge, physical aptitude, medical and psychological examinations as well as recruitment interviews.
Incorporated as a second class rifleman, career development is possible within the Company. However, the candidate for this position must meet very specific recruitment criteria.
To apply, the applicant must be exclusively of Monegasque or French nationality, be between 19 and 27 years old, measure between 1.80 m and 2 m, without visible tattoos and be single at the time of application and until the end of the probationary period of one year when the marriage is then authorized.
Excellent health and good physical condition are obviously fundamental points. The view must be perfect and the BMI is between 19 and 25. It is also required to know how to swim, to have the B license and to have participated in the Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC). A re-employment contract must be signed every five years.
If you wish to apply, contact the Recruitment Instruction Office by email [email protected] or by phone at 06.07.93.25.22 or 06.80.86.76.58. For more information on the competition: carabiniers.gouv.mc.