Opened in 1863, Le Casino de Monte-Carlo has remained a model of sophistication and flamboyance. Original inlays, paintings, sculptures and stained glass windows still adorn the rooms, constructing a luxurious Belle Époque décor, echoing of a glamorous past.
For more than 150 years, Casino de Monte-Carlo has been welcoming the international elite in its gold-decorated Baroque rooms. From the great femme fatale, La Belle Otero in 1868, whose great lovers paid for her sometimes huge losses, to the actress Sarah Bernhardt, a regular at the casino who one night, famously came into Casino de Monte-Carlo with nothing but 100,000 gold francs in her bag. At the end of the 1860’s, the social elite flocked to the gaming rooms, royalty and titles such as the Duke of Hamilton, the future Edward VII, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Napoleon Bonaparte came to play, even writers and artists such as Jacques Offenbach, Alexandre Dumas, Jules Verne, Saint-Saëns, Massenet took the pleasure in a game. Socialites such as Liane de Pougy, Emilienne d'Alençon or La Belle Otero were seen to rub shoulders at a table - all three represented in a painting “Les Grâces Florentines” by Gervais which still hangs inside the casino.
