Grimaldi

Grimaldi may refer to:

Rulers of Monaco

People

In fiction

Grimaldi, Calabria

Grimaldi is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Grimaldi is referred to as Grimaldo in historic documents. In the local Calabrian dialect (a variation of Cosentino), the town is called Grimàudu or Grimàuru, and the residents Grimaudisi, although the Italian versions (Grimaldi and Grimaldesi) are today prevalent.

Geography

Grimaldi is located 29 km (18 mi) from Cosenza and rises to 650m above sea level. The territory of the municipality lies between 150 and 1,256 metres (492 and 4,120 ft.) above sea level. The comune extends from the Santa Lucerna mountains to the Savuto river valley to the south.

History

It is likely that Grimaldi owes its origins to the devastation experienced by the ancient territory of Pandosia, after the year 475 CE. The first settlement in the area may have been a small casale (hamlet) named Santa Caterina, around the year 872, when much of Calabria was experiencing the battles between the Lombards, the Byzantines and the Saracens. Other casali appeared, such as those at San Pietro and San Stefano. According to some scholars, the name Grimaldi evolved from Grimoald I, duke of Benevento and king of the Lombards, whose domains included Apulia, Calabria, and Ancona. The name was originally applied to the entire territory. Thus, while there is no certainty that the Lombards founded the city, there is no doubt that they were present and had integrated into the population, well before their defeat at the start of the 11th century.

Grimaldi (play)

Grimaldi or The Life of an Actress is an 1855 play by the Irish writer Dion Boucicault. It was based on the life of the actor Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837).

Film adaptation

In 1914 the play was turned into a silent film Grimaldi directed by Charles E. Vernon.

References

Bibliography