Eight ancient parchments relating to the Grimaldi Princes' lineage have been discovered; the precious documents belong to the private collection of Antonio Raffaele of Lamezia Terme.
The Parchments of the Grimaldi Princes
The date of the prince's visit is approaching Albert of Monaco In Calabria, where he will be welcomed in Reggio Calabria from November 7th to 9th. Albert II will also visit Molochio, Cittanova, and Gerace, fiefdoms of the Grimaldi family, of Genoese origin. What is the connection between the Grimaldis of Monaco and the Calabrian ones? The Grimaldi lineage begins with Ranieri I, "absolute lord of Monaco", the Calabrian line would originate from his third son Bartolomeo who was Viceroy of Calabria.
On the occasion of this important regional event, a historical discovery of great significance was made. The collection of Dr. Antonio Raffaele di Lamezia Terme, eight large parchments from the 16th and 17th centuries relating to the Grimaldi princes' family. One of these parchments is even illuminated with the family coat of arms, while four are over 100 cm in size. The eight parchments, kept in period frames and never published or studied to date, were purchased on the antiques market some time ago.
The Antonio Raffaele Collection
From a first and quick reading it is about the concession to the Grimaldis of the Calabrian fiefs of Gerace, Terranova and Cittanova, therefore they represent a piece of regional history of extreme importance. Dr. Antonio Raffaele, an art and history expert, made himself available to display them during Prince Albert's visit, as well as to arrange for their possible study by an expert archivist.
