History
Various populations from prehistoric times and antiquity have sought refuge on Monaco's Rocher and in its port. Sailors have heralded from as far away as the Orient.
In the sixth century B.C. a Ligurian tribe inhabited the area leaving behind their name to what would become Monaco.
Following the Phoenician era, the Romans occupied this region from the second century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. They named the harbor Portus Herculis Monoeci.
Beginning in the sixth century through the end of the tenth century, the area witnessed numerous invasions. It wasn't until 975 that the Count of Provence succeeded in driving out the Sarrasins, marking the beginning of a new era.
In 1162 Emperor Frederic Barberousse 1st extended Genoa’s rule on the Ligurian coast, from Port Venere to Monaco. In 1191 Emperor Henry VI conceded Monaco’s Rocher, the port and neighboring land to Genoa. The Genovese set up their own colony on the Rocher and in 1215 build a fortress marking the western most border of their republic.
