New Rapid Testing Centre Opens at Fight Aids Monaco

 

Fight Aids Monaco has expanded its prevention efforts with the launch of a weekly rapid testing service at its headquarters, unveiled earlier this week to mark World AIDS Day. Every Tuesday morning, the centre now provides free and confidential screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C, as well as other sexually transmitted infections.

Using rapid diagnostic tests, results are available within 30 minutes, with complete anonymity assured. The initiative is designed to reach individuals who may feel uncomfortable or hesitant about visiting traditional screening facilities.

“We wanted to create a space for people who are still afraid of others’ judgement, of walking into a screening centre,” said Princess Stéphanie. “At Fight Aids Monaco, the environment is more reassuring, with teams trained to support visitors before, during and after testing. Whether the result is positive or negative, having clear information is essential.”

 

Princess Stéphanie emphasised that the new service complements existing screening options at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, offering an additional, more discreet pathway for those seeking support.

While effective tools to combat HIV continue to advance, testing and awareness remain critical. UNAIDS reported approximately 1.3 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2023, with rising rates among younger people—a trend the Princess cited as a reminder of the work still to be done.

“We’ve already used rapid tests in community outreach programmes,” she added. “Establishing this service within our own premises is both important and a recognition of what we’ve been doing for years.”

Founded in 2004, Fight Aids Monaco integrates education, prevention, medical assistance and social support. The newly opened testing centre represents the latest step in that mission, breaking down barriers of stigma, cost and delay that often discourage people from getting tested.

The service is available every Tuesday morning at Fight Aids Monaco’s headquarters, La Villa Pasteur, 15 boulevard Charles III, offering free, confidential, and accessible screening for all.

People wishing to take a test can now book an appointment online or by phone at 97 70 67 97, in order to benefit from a personalized and optimal welcome.

Photo credits: Frédéric Nébinger

One Night. One Stage. One Cause: Cabaret FAM Takes Over Monaco

 

Ready for an unforgettable night out that also makes a difference? On Monday, 16 December, the chic Marius Restaurant becomes Monaco’s most glamorous destination for a spectacular evening in support of Fight Aids Monaco, founded and led by Princess Stéphanie.

This is not just another show—Cabaret FAM is a full-scale immersive experience. Expect modern cabaret energy, close-up performance, and a venue transformed into an intimate lounge with atmospheric lighting, signature cocktails, and à la carte dining.

Taking centre stage is international transformist sensation Manel Dalgó, joined by two dancers for a one-of-a-kind performance that brings the artists right into the heart of the audience. No traditional stage. No distance. Just pure artistry and connection.

And the best part?

Tickets are just €40!

For over 20 years, the association has been a lifeline for those affected by HIV—providing support, awareness, care, and prevention efforts throughout the region. Your presence helps keep that mission alive. With 100% of ticket proceeds benefiting Fight Aids Monaco.

This is your chance to enjoy an evening of flair, fun, and philanthropy—all while supporting a cause that matters. A meaningful night that celebrates compassion, community, and inclusion

Cabaret FAM isn’t just entertainment. It’s entertainment with purpose.

Reserve your place, bring friends, and be part of an evening that makes a difference.

World AIDS Day 2025 with Fight AIDS Monaco

 

Living on the Côte d’Azur, you quickly discover that many of the familiar urban myths just don’t hold up. One of the biggest misconceptions is that behind all the glamour and prestige, there’s little room for empathy, compassion, or community.

The reality couldn’t be more different.

Take World AIDS Day, for example. Across the region, people are marking the day with sincerity and solidarity—honouring the memory of those we’ve lost, and supporting those who continue to fight.

Since the inception of the charity, many of us have been fortunate where we can to support the meaningful work of Fight AIDS Monaco. The organization plays a vital role in supporting those with HIV and AIDS while also honouring the memory of those lost, including through the creation of memorial quilts—carefully sewn by volunteers and dedicated supporters. Their efforts continue to embody compassion, remembrance, and community.

One of the largest gatherings of community members came together yesterday in support of H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie’s charity, Fight AIDS Monaco, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. The occasion included the unveiling of memorial quilts created by members of the charity to honour those who have lost their lives to AIDS, in observance of World AIDS Day.

 

Held at the Oceanographic Museum, the event welcomed Princess Stéphanie, her daughter Camille Gottlieb, and Monegasque dignitaries, as Fight AIDS Monaco presented its memorial quilts for the 14th consecutive year.

Both poignant and heartfelt, the quilts serve as a powerful reminder of the devastating impact of AIDS. On Friday, the association presented 8 of its 14 meticulously crafted pieces, each requiring an average of 170 hours to complete.

 

 

The quilts, viewed as powerful symbols of hope, draw inspiration from the AIDS Memorial Quilt movement that began in San Francisco in 1985. This global initiative honours those who have lost their lives to AIDS through handcrafted fabric panels. Christophe Glasser, Director of Fight AIDS Monaco, highlighted this important connection in his address.

Fight AIDS Monaco is a non-profit NGO founded by H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie in July 2004. Confronted with the psychological, financial, and emotional challenges faced by people living with HIV—along with the discrimination many experience daily—Princess Stéphanie committed herself to supporting them in their fight for dignity, health, and inclusion.

As Princess Stéphanie has stated:
“I join all those who are fighting HIV in their own lives. I encourage everyone to be screened, to protect themselves, and to thank anyone who devotes their time and money to the mobilization against AIDS.”

Each year, this event is both a remembrance and a celebration of compassion. It honours those who have passed due to HIV/AIDS, while also reflecting the strength of a community united in support, awareness, and hope. This year’s World AIDS Day was no different.

Fight AIDS Monaco continues its mission through the dedication of its board members, a small but committed team of employees, and many volunteers, working alongside Princess Stéphanie to raise awareness, promote prevention, and fund vital services throughout Monaco. The organization is supported by a government grant as well as private donations.

To support their work or to donate, please contact Fight AIDS Monaco.

Photos credit: Monaco Matin

From Coast to Legend: The Making of the French Riviera and Monte Carlo

 

The Riviera—sunlit beaches, perfumed hillsides, pastel palaces—feels timeless. Yet its glamour was not inevitable. It was manufactured through ambition, tourism, art, real estate, and sometimes scandal. To really understand this coast, you have to look past postcards and myths and examine the people, politics, illusions and reinventions that shaped it. The best books on the subject trace that evolution in vivid detail—sometimes beautiful, sometimes harsh.

The Riviera’s Reinvention: From Remote Coast to Elite Playground

For most of history, the Riviera was not chic at all—just quiet fishing villages and rugged hills. That changed rapidly from the 19ᵗʰ century onward. In 1887, Stephen Liégeard coined the term “Côte d’Azur,” giving the region a new identity. Rail links to Nice (from 1864) brought seasonal visitors and the wealthy elite, triggering a transformation that replaced modest homes with grand hotels, villas and spas. The Riviera became a hybrid of nature, luxury, and culture—its image built as much by artists and writers as by climate.

The coastline didn’t simply become glamorous—it was engineered into a global symbol of wealth and beauty.

Monte Carlo: A Legend Built on Gambling, Spectacle, and Strategy

Monte Carlo is the Riviera’s boldest experiment in place-making. When Monaco legalized gambling in 1855, it was a desperate attempt to survive economically. Entrepreneur François Blanc secured the concession in 1858 and created the casino-resort model that turned a tiny, poor principality into a luxury destination. Marketing, rail access, “aristocratic tourism,” and spectacle transformed Monte Carlo into a playground for royalty, financiers, adventurers and social climbers.

Its history—ambition, profit, scandal and risk—is not accidental. It was constructed.

Why “History + Scandal” Books Reveal the Riviera’s Real Story

The Riviera is often sold as leisure and beauty. The best history-driven books tear that image open—showing the deeper dynamics of power, culture, travel, art, inequality and reinvention.

Here are standout titles:

Recommended Reads

• Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle

The definitive history of Monaco’s transformation—from gambling legalization to casino culture, wealth creation, publicity and the darker side of glamour and corruption.

• The French Riviera: A Cultural History

A sweeping overview of how the region evolved from villages to aristocratic resort to modern cosmopolitan hub—a study of tourism, migration and cultural identity.

• The Hidden Riviera: Exploring Southeastern France

A counter-narrative that reveals overlooked histories, social tensions and the realities behind the glamour.

• Secret French Riviera

Investigates hidden stories, inequality and the underbelly behind the postcard.

• The French Riviera and Its Artists

Focuses on the artistic and bohemian side—painters, writers and artistic colonies that helped define the region’s myth.

 • Monte Carlo (Assouline)

A lavish visual history of Monte Carlo’s evolving identity and self-presentation.

• The French Riviera in the 1920’s (Assouline)

A photobiography of the Riviera’s most iconic decade—artists, society, and the shadow of approaching war.

What These Books Reveal

Across the Riviera and Monaco, similar themes appear:

• The coast wasn’t born glamorous—it was built through speculation, architecture, tourism and branding.

• Luxury often masked social inequality, labor struggles and disruption of older ways of life.

• Myths mattered. Art, literature and imagery helped sell a dream of escape and wealth.

• Monte Carlo and the Riviera became icons because people engineered them to be legends.

Why This Matters—Especially If You Live Here

Living or traveling here means walking among that history. The Riviera is beautiful—but it’s also layered with ambition, creativity, risk, social change and reinvention. These books deepen your view of the region: villas, boulevards, festivals and casinos become not just scenery, but cultural artifacts.

In the End: A Coast Built on Stories

The Riviera and Monte Carlo may look like eternal postcards, but their history is far more complex: a living blend of glamour and strategy, culture and commerce, art and illusion. These books go beyond tourism—they explain how myths are constructed, sold and sustained.

If you want to understand the Riviera not just as a landscape but as a legend in motion, these titles are the perfect place to start.