“Thank you, President Mattarella”: The Pride of Italians in the Principality of Monaco

That sense of belonging always prevails among those who love their country and live abroad. And when you have the opportunity to meet the head of state in the foreign country where you live and work, your national pride grows even stronger.

We have only one homeland, unlike our passports. It reminds us of who we are and where we come from. It is a feeling that those living abroad can describe best.
 The Italian community residing in the Principality of Monaco welcomed President Sergio Mattarella’s historic visit—accompanied by his daughter Laura—with enthusiasm and a certain sense of emotion.  The Head of State accepted the invitation from Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene to visit Monaco on October 2 and 3. Never before had a President of the Italian Republic made an official state visit. And this first visit is both significant and unforgettable. With his presence, President Sergio Mattarella further strengthens the sense of Italian identity.

On Friday, October 2, at 11:30 a.m., the President and the Italian delegation arrived in front of the Prince’s Palace, escorted by the elite “Motorcycle Platoon” of the Prince of Monaco’s Carabinieri. The day’s schedule was packed with events, all of which were carried out as planned. On Saturday morning, October 3, the day began with a meeting with a delegation of Italians in Monaco, organized by the Italian Embassy at the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, followed by a visit to the Oceanographic Museum in the company of Prince Albert II, and concluding remarks by the two heads of state before the press, bringing President Mattarella’s official visit to Monaco to a close.

The Principality of Monaco is a small country that maintains excellent relations with nations around the world. In recent years, it welcomed Pope Leo XIV on March 28, 2026; prior to that, it hosted Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, on November 21, 2025; and French President Emmanuel Macron on June 7 and 8, 2025. On March 24, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic visit.