A number of the local government organizations in Monaco opened their doors to the general public on 3rd and 4th October to mark the 31st European Heritage Days, where people could get an insight into the cultural affairs in the Principality.

The theme for this year’s programme was “Heritage in Peril: Revive-Resist- Reinvent”, featuring a range of events including: guided visits, exhibitions, concerts and demonstrations.

The visitors had the opportunity to learn about the Town Hall building as well as the Rainier III Academy, the Pavillon Bosio, the heritage collections of the Caroline Library, the Jardin Exotique, and, of course, some of the work behind the scenes for the preservation and protection of Monaco’s cultural heritage.

The public is engaged in bringing heritage closer

Inside the Town Hall, it was possible to get inside the Marriage Room, the Council Chamber, with an information desk and the Mayor’s Office, with new digital guides available via QR codes that provided more information about the buildings.

The treasure hunt was created for kids and youths to attract younger visitors as well, which was helped by the members of the youth volunteer team A Sqadra.

In other locations, the Rainier III Academy gave a demonstration of its instrument-making workshop and hosted concerts, and the Pavillon Bosio hosted an exhibition on the themes of recycling, repurposing and creative assembly.

The Caroline Library also made its historic collections available for guided tours, with demonstrations of the methods used to restore and preserve historic documents.

On Sunday, the Jardin Exotique was free for all to visit, and the Botanical Centre, which houses one of the world’s largest collections of cacti and succulent plants, offers guided visits.

In total, 2,878 visitors came to the various municipal locations over the weekend, of which 1,592 came to the Jardin Exotique and 873 to the Town Hall.