[2] Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea,[3] it is nicknamed The Rock (French: Le Rocher; Monégasque: A Roca).

On 10 June 1215, a detachment of Ghibellines led by Fulco del Cassello began the construction of a fortress on the rock of Monaco in order to make it a strategic military position and a means of controlling the area.

To attract the inhabitants of Genoa and the surrounding towns, they offered land and exempted newcomers from taxes.

Despite being located in the middle of the City of Monaco, the world's most densely populated urban center, Monaco City remains a medieval village at heart, made up almost entirely of quiet pedestrian streets and marked by virtual silence after sundown.

Though innumerable people visit Monaco City and the palace square, only local vehicles are allowed up to the Rock, and gasoline-powered motorcycles are prohibited after 10 p.m.