- Augustine Grimaldi
Augustine Grimaldi (
1482 -14 April 1532 ) wasRegent ofMonaco (1523-1532), Bishop of Grasse,Abbot of Lérins, and founder of the village ofValbonne .Family
Augustine was the son of Lambert Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco (1420-1494) and Claudine Grimaldi (1451-1515). Two of his brothers, Jean (1468-1505) and Lucien (1487-1523) were Lords of Monaco.
Regency
Upon the assassination of his brother Lucien on
22 August 1523 , Augustine was appointed Regent to Lucien's son Honoré, who was not yet a year old. He held this position for over 8 years, until his death at the age of 50 in 1532.In 1524, to better avenge himself on his brother's murderers, Bartholomew Doria and
Andrea Doria , Augustine desertedFrancis I of France , with whom the Doria's were allied. He then swore allegiance to Charles V,Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, by the signing of the Treaties ofBurgos andTordesillas . This broughtMonaco under Spanish protection, and Augustine was placed at the head of the government inMonaco . The alliance lasted from 1525 to 1641. This alliance weighed heavily on the financial situation ofMonaco , and shortly before his death, Augustine admitted to regret for his actions in this regard.During his Regency, Charles V paid a visit to
Monaco in 1529.Bishop and Abbot
Augustine served as Bishop of Grasse from 1505 until his death. He was also the
Abbot of Lérins, a Cistercianmonastery located on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of theLérins Islands , on theFrench Riviera .In 1516, he united his monastery at Lérins with the Cassinese Congregation. The church sent Giovanni Andrea Cortese (1483-1548), known within the order as Gregorio, to Lérins to introduce the Cassinese reform.
In 1519, Augustine commissioned a monk named Don Taxil to construct a village adjacent to the abbey, with the hope of attracting converts. Thus he is accredited as the founder of the village of
Valbonne .External links
* [http://members.tripod.com/augustus-hare/mentone07.html The Hare Society Website]
* [http://www.riviera-magazine.com/tourisme/monaco/MonacoHist-us.html Monaco Histoire]
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