Our exclusive tour in Montecarlo. To his old school: “All the students in Fontvieille would like to be Charles.” The pilot: “I like that the teachers see that those absences are served.” The restaurateur friend: “His favorite dishes are …”
by our correspondent Mario Salvini
– Montecarlo (monaco)
On the balconies of the buildings along the stretch of the port, for four years now, red and white banners have been hung with the words “Daghe Charles” on the days of the grand prix. It is neither French nor Italian: it is a Monegasque dialect. Come on Charles. As they sing at the Louis II stadium for Monaco, “Daghe Munegu”. Come on Charles, pride of the city. Enfant du Pays as they had never seen before. Since always, since F1 has existed, dozens of his colleagues from all over the world have resided in the Principality. But, as anyone who lives there knows, there is a huge difference between having a home and address and owning a passport. There are a whole series of privileges, of jobs at the casino or in any public body, for which it is necessary to be a citizen. As well as to access controlled rents and mortgages for apartments that would otherwise require millions. For Charles, it’s not a question of money, of course. But she never was. Right from the start the difference is in affection, in the sense of belonging and in pride. “Montecarlo is small, we all know each other”, he repeated many times. And for a century everyone watched the world go by from the window, with the certainty of listening to a foreign hymn. Until he arrived, and the two concepts overlapped: the world became the backyard. Instead of splitting between champions who came from who knows where, the Monegasques have all become fans of him.