Inside the Legendary Casino de Monte-Carlo: A New Assouline Book Celebrates Monaco’s Icon of Glamour

 

Few buildings capture the glamour, history and unmistakable identity of Monaco quite like the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Now, one of the Principality’s most celebrated landmarks takes centre stage in a new luxury publication from Assouline, offering readers an opportunity to explore the architecture, artistry and extraordinary history behind its legendary reputation.

Titled Casino de Monte-Carlo: The Grand Art of Gaming, the book is written by Charlotte Lubert-Notari, Heritage Manager at the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM). Drawing on historical archives and contemporary photography, the publication takes readers beyond the Casino’s famous façade to discover the interiors, artistic details and cultural influences that have shaped its place in Monaco’s history.

The Casino’s origins date back to the 19th century, when François Blanc, the businessman and property developer behind its development, helped transform Monte-Carlo into an international destination. His vision extended well beyond gaming tables. Grand hotels, landscaped gardens, cultural performances and prestigious social gatherings were all part of a wider ambition to create a destination that would attract an international clientele seeking entertainment, refinement and luxury.

That vision helped establish the foundations of the Monte-Carlo we recognise today, with the Casino becoming one of its defining symbols.

Architecture plays a central role in the new book, including the contributions of Charles Garnier, the celebrated architect responsible for Paris’s Palais Garnier opera house. His influence helped give the Casino an architectural presence worthy of its ambitions, while generations of artists, sculptors, architects and decorators continued to develop its interiors.

Readers are taken through some of the building’s most distinctive spaces, including the monumental Atrium, Salle Europe, Salon Rose, Salle des Amériques and Salle Blanche. Each room has its own character, revealing layers of artistic detail and the evolution of the Casino across different periods.

The result is a portrait of a building that has never been simply about gambling. Its lavish surroundings, carefully designed spaces and connection to Monaco’s social life have made it an enduring expression of the Principality’s cultural and architectural identity.

The Casino’s international reputation has also been reinforced by its appearances on the silver screen. Its cinematic credentials include Never Say Never Again (1983), GoldenEye (1995) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004), films that helped carry its unmistakable setting to audiences around the world. Even Kylie Minogue filmed part of the video, On A Night Like This in the Casino.

 

Alongside contemporary images of the Casino, the publication features historical photographs drawn from the Société des Bains de Mer archives. These images offer a glimpse into Monaco’s international social scene throughout the 20th century, documenting an era in which Monte-Carlo became synonymous with elegant gatherings, high society and Mediterranean sophistication.

 

Published by Assouline, whose illustrated books are known for their distinctive presentation and appeal to collectors, Casino de Monte-Carlo: The Grand Art of Gaming brings together architectural history, visual storytelling and the heritage of one of Europe’s most recognisable luxury destinations.

 

For admirers of Monaco, architecture and the art of luxury living, the book offers more than a photographic celebration of an iconic building. It explores how the Casino helped shape the identity of Monte-Carlo itself, where entertainment, hospitality, culture and design became inseparable from the destination’s international appeal.

 

More than a century after its beginnings, the Casino de Monte-Carlo remains a defining presence in the Principality. This new Assouline publication celebrates not only its remarkable interiors and enduring glamour, but also the ambitious vision that helped put Monte-Carlo on the world stage.