Saint Devota celebrations

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Events to celebrate St. Devota, the patron saint of Monaco, the Royal Family and the Monaco Diocese will take place on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 January.

These celebrations are among the oldest traditions of the Principality of Monaco, and have permeated the national culture in areas as diverse as religion, folklore, popular beliefs, history, literature, the arts, painting, music, coins and stamps.

The tradition derives from the so-called “Legend of St. Devota”, passed down through a medieval document. It holds a special place in the heart of Monegasques, and has been documented throughout centuries of the city’s history. While rooted in history, legends constitute a literary genre in which historical accuracy comes secondary to spiritual intention.

According to this document, Devota, a young Christian woman from Corsica, was martyred by the prefect Barbarus under Emperors Diocletian and Maximian on a date believed to have been in 303 or 304. Her body, removed the following night by believers, was placed in a boat, taken to Monaco and buried in a chapel in the Vallon des Gaumates, near the port, on 27 January of the same year.

In the seventeenth century, under Honoré II, St. Devota became the patron saint of Monaco.

Another legend suggests that in the eleventh century, the saint’s relics were taken away by criminals in a boat, but the criminals were ultimately captured and their boat burned. According to an annual tradition established in 1874, a boat is burned on a pyre in the presence of the Sovereign and the Royal Family, accompanied by leading figures from Monaco.

On 27 January, the day of the festival, a pontifical mass is celebrated in the Cathedral by a religious figure invited by the Archbishop of Monaco. This ceremony is attended by the Royal Family, the Prince’s Government, the elected assemblies and constitutional bodies, as well as many of the faithful. After the ceremony, a procession involving Penitents of the Brotherhood of Mercy heads towards the Prince’s Palace with the shrine containing the relics, escorted by the Palace Guards.

The procession comes to a halt on Place du Palais. A guard of honour and the orchestra of the Palace Guards greet the procession and an officiant blesses the Royal Family with the relics.

The procession then makes its way to the ramparts where another officiant blesses Monaco and its people. Finally, it returns to the front of the Cathedral where a last officiant blesses the sea and fishermen.

For more information, see: www.saintedevotemonaco.com

Saint Devota celebrations

SUNDAY 26 JANUARY 2025

10.30 am. Church of St. Devota: Mass of the Traditions, in Monegasque

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6 pm. Grand Prix Chicane: Procession of the Relics of St. Devota

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7 pm. Church of St. Devota: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

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Followed by: Quai Albert I: Burning of the Boat

by the Royal Family.

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Followed by: Drone show.

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MONDAY 27 JANUARY 2025

10 am. Monaco Cathedral: Pontifical Mass.

Presided over by H.E. Monseigneur Paul-Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, Secretariat of State. Followed by the Procession of the Relics on the Rocher.

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6.30 pm. Monaco Cathedral: “Mozart in Monaco” – a concert of sacred music by candlelight

Presented by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, with, once again, an outstanding programme featuring iconic works of sacred music by the greatest composer in history.

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Conducted by Italian conductor Diego Ceretta and with the Coro del Friuli Venezia Giulia choir, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany clarinettist Pierre Génisson as he performs the sublime Adagio from the Clarinet Concerto, and international soprano Emőke Baráth, who will sing Exsultate Jubilate and Laudamus Te from the Mass in C Minor. Excerpts from the Mass in C Major and the great Ave Verum will be performed by the various ensembles.