Princess Grace at La Verna in 1968.
A visit of great importance is approaching for the Citadel of Peace of Rondine and the Sanctuary of La Verna, where on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will be welcomed for two days full of meaning. The visit will have a strong symbolic value, in particular for the historical bond between the Grimaldi family and these sacred places, witnessed by the passage of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1968, accompanied by her eleven-year-old daughter Caroline.
The first stop on the tour, on September 14, will take place at the Sanctuary of La Verna, where the Prince will be received by the Guardian Father Fra Guido Fineschi. In this place full of spirituality, which celebrates the centenary of the Stigmata of Saint Francis, the Sovereign will explore the historical Archives that preserve precious documents relating to the visit of his mother, Princess Grace. A touching and reflective moment that connects the history of the royal family of Monaco with that of this place of peace and meditation.
On Sunday, September 15, Prince Albert II will travel to Rondine, where, starting at 10:00, he will meet the young people of the World House, promoters of the campaign “Leaders for Peace.” The project, supported by the Principality of Monaco, aims to train new global leaders capable of intervening in contexts of war and conflict to promote peaceful relations and social development. The President of Rondine, Franco Vaccari, will welcome the Prince together with a delegation of the association, accompanying him on a tour of the symbolic places of the village: from the Swallows Monument to the Janine Arena and the Training Center.
At 11:20, His Serene Highness will give a speech to young leaders and students, sharing his vision of how to build peace globally. Adeline, a student from Kosovo, and Georges Théodore Dougnon, a former student from Mali, will be present, sharing their experiences of peace and community transformation in their respective countries. The Prince’s speech will be the culmination of a moment of great inspiration for the new generations, who look to Rondine as a point of reference for the formation of leaders who are aware and committed to the reduction of armed conflict.
The “Leaders for Peace” initiative, launched at the United Nations in 2018, sees the Principality of Monaco at the forefront of supporting the training of young global leaders, with the aim of building a more just and peaceful world. The Rondine method, now internationally recognized, has proven to be fundamental in transforming conflicts into opportunities for dialogue and development, positively influencing the educational systems of countries where conflict constitutes an obstacle to human progress and universal rights.
The arrival of Prince Albert II therefore represents not only a moment of celebration, but a concrete commitment to the promotion of peace, a theme that the Monegasque institutions have always had at heart, and which is carried forward with passion through the support of international cooperation projects such as those of Rondine.
