Monaco's only natural deep-water port is Hercules Port. The port has played an essential role in Monaco's history, providing the principality with a key naval station and an important point on maritime trade routes. The contemporary port was completed in 1926, and upgrades were made in the 1970s.
About its history, Phocaeans Greeks from Massalia (modern-day Marseille) founded the colony of Mnoikos in the 6th century BC. The colony's name comes from the local reverence of Hercules, the Greek demigod and mythological hero who was claimed to have built the old highway that ran through the region from Spain to Italy and was later adopted by the Romans. [2] Hercules also built Monaco's harbor and a coastline road, according to the Roman emperor Julian. There were altars to Hercules along the way, and a temple dedicated to him was built on the Rock of Monaco. The historic harbor was later given the name
Hercules Port.
In 2011, Jean Michel Jarre gave a free concert in front of 85,000 people to commemorate Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock's wedding. The Foire de Monaco, an annual fair held in Port Hercule from October to November, is also held there.
Location: 6 Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco
