Person

François Grimaldi

d. 1309 · 13th century · Also known as Francesco Grimaldi

François Grimaldi was a Genoese Guelph exile who seized the fortress of Monaco on the night of 8 January 1297, entering disguised as a Franciscan friar with his men. Known as 'il Malizia', the cunning, he held the rock only until 1301, but his family later recovered it. The two monks carrying swords on the Grimaldi arms recall his exploit.

François Grimaldi
Image: Tangopaso · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Principality of Monaco

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). François Grimaldi. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francois-grimaldi
MLA
“François Grimaldi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francois-grimaldi. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “François Grimaldi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francois-grimaldi.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘François Grimaldi’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francois-grimaldi (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻