Hercule II, Marquix of Baux was born 16 December 1623 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France to Honore II of Monaco (1597-1662) and Ippolita Trivulzio (1600-1638) and died 2 August 1651 Monaco, Monaco of unspecified causes. He married Maria Aurelia Spinola (1620-1670) 4 July 1641 in Monaco, Monaco.
Ercole Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux was a member of the House of Grimaldi. He was the first Monegasque prince and heir apparent to the first Monegasque sovereign prince, Honoré II. Dying at the age of 27, Baux was replaced as heir apparent by his son Louis who succeeded Honoré II.
Biography
House of Grimaldi

Great coat of arms of the House of Grimaldi.
The Grimaldi Family, with few exceptions for enemy occupations, have been primary rulers of Monaco since the 13th Century. Their family ancestry can be easily traced to many of the great noble families of Europe. See Also:
Early life
The only son of Honore II of Monaco (1597-1662) and Ippolita Trivulzio (1600-1638), he was the heir apparent to principality of Monaco which was raised to the status of principality in 1604. Named after his grandfather Hercule, Lord of Monaco, Grimaldi was styled as the Marquis of Baux, after 1642, the title being one of the subsidiary titles which had been given to his father by Louis XIII of France.[1] In fact, Baux was created Marquis by Louis XIII himself. Baux was a skilled military-man and led the attack on the Serravalle Tower, taking the sentries prisoner.[2]
Death
Baux and his wife and their children went to visit the convent of Carnoles in Mentone. After the visit was over Baux relaxed in the gardens by shooting targets with some guards.[3] Anxious to see how a weapon worked, Baux insisted that a guard show it to him. Improperly handling the gun, the guard accidentally shot it towards Baux and the other guards, two of whom were also injured. Baux received a gunshot wound to the spine and, however good medical care he received, he died the next day on 1 August 1651, at the age of 27.[3] It is said that despite his wound, he insisted over and over again, as he lay on his deathbed, that the guard who shot him should not be punished as it had been an accident. Nonetheless, the man was imprisoned for a time and even tried to kill himself. After his release he never returned to Monaco.[3] Afterwards, there were reports that a local monk had predicted Baux's death and that Baux himself had seen a ghost who had told him to enjoy life for he would not be able to in a short time.[3]
Marriage
Grimaldi was married on 4 July 1641 to Maria Aurelia Spinola, a daughter of Luca Spinola, Prince of Molfetta and his cousin Pellina Spinola. Spinola was a member of the House of Spinola, a powerful and wealthy family from the Republic of Genoa.[4] The marriage produced four children all of whom had have further progeny. Through his son Louis he is a direct ancestor of the reigning Albert II of Monaco and through his youngest daughter he is an ancestor of the pretending Carlos, Duke of Parma, Crown Princess Margareta of Romania, Archduke Karl of Austria, Franz, Duke of Bavaria, former king Simeon II of Bulgaria and reigning Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Issue
- Luigi I of Monaco (1642-1701) - , Prince of Monaco as Louis I (1660–1701); married Catherine Charlotte de Gramont and had issue.
- Giovanna Maria Grimaldi (1644-1694) married Carlo Emanuele Filiberto de Simiane, Prince of Montafia and had issue.
- Maria Pellina Ippolita Grimaldi (1644-1694) married Andrea Imperiali, Prince of Francavilla and had issue.
- Maria Teresa Grimaldi (1648-1723) married Sigismondo III d'Este, Marquis of San Martino and had issue.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Luigi I of Monaco (1642-1701) | 25 July 1642 Prince's Palace, Monaco, Monaco | 3 January 1701 Rome, Papal States | Charlotte Catherine de Gramont (1639-1678) |
Giovanna Maria Grimaldi (1644-1694) | |||
Maria Pellina Ippolita Grimaldi (1644-1694) | |||
Maria Teresa Grimaldi (1648-1723) |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Hercule Grimaldi (1623-1651) | 16 December 1623 Paris, Ile-de-France, France | 2 August 1651 Monaco, Monaco | Maria Aurelia Spinola (1620-1670) |
Residences
See Also
- Ercole Grimaldi
- Grimaldi Family
- Grimaldi in France
- Grimaldi in Monaco
Bibliography
- Pemberton, H. The History of Monaco: Past and Present. Tinsley Brothers. London: 1867. URL: https://archive.org/details/historyofmonacop00pemb
- Schwennicke, Detlev (Ed.) Europäische Stammtafeln, J.A. Stargardt Verlag, Marburg, volume II, table 201.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Ercole, Marquis of Baux
- Ercole, Marquis of Baux at thePeerage
- Ercole, Marquis of Baux, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Hercule-Grimaldi-marquis-de-Baux/5294781477310117337, retrieved 01 May 2023
- Princes of Monaco, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/provnice.htm#_Toc31542623, retrieved 01 May 2023
- 700 Years of Grimaldis- Archive.ph.
Royal Succession Chart
References
- ^ Velde, François. "Monaco". Heraldica.org. http://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/monaco.htm#early. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ The Mad Monarchist (March 24, 2010). "The Tragic Prince Hercules". Mad for Monaco. madformonaco.blogspot.com. http://madmonaco.blogspot.com/2010/03/tragic-prince-hercule.html. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c d The Mad Monarchist (April 10, 2012). "Whatever Happened to Hercules". Mad for Monaco. madformonaco.blogspot.com. http://madmonaco.blogspot.com/2012/04/whatever-happened-to-hercules.html. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
- ^ Malleson, George Bruce (2010) [1875]. Studies from Genoese History. Read Books Design. p. 294. ISBN 978-1-4455-6775-4.