On Thursday, May 14, late in the morning, H.S.H. the Prince traveled to the town of Irsina, located in the province of Matera. Upon his arrival in the historic center of Irsina, the Prince unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit in Piazza San Francesco, where he gave a speech.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Irsina, then known as Montepeloso, was a fiefdom belonging to a branch of the Grimaldi family of Genoa, close to the Grimaldi family of Monaco. Girolamo, a relative of Lord Honoré I, was the first Grimaldi lord of Montepeloso. Traces of the Grimaldi family's presence in Irsina remain, such as a funerary monument bearing their coat of arms, which has just been restored.
On Friday, May 15, in Pompeii, H.S.H. Prince Albert II visited the archaeological site of Pompeii. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, Pompeii is one of the best-preserved ancient sites in the world, a living testimony to an ancient Roman city that was buried during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the afternoon, the Sovereign Prince visited the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary of Pompeii, where he was welcomed by His Excellency Monsignor Tommaso Caputo, Archbishop of Pompeii.
This shrine has special significance, as Princess Grace was very devoted to the Rosary and would recite its mysteries with fervor.
