This stunning view of the port of Monaco was taken from rue des Remparts on a beautiful February afternoon last week. Port Hercules is mainly known nowadays as a docking area for superyachts and the main theatre for Formula 1 exploits at the end of May each year during the Monaco Grand Prix. But it’s also important to understand that it’s one of the main reasons for which Monaco has remained independent for so many centuries: the only natural deep water harbour in the region, the fact that it faces east has protected sailors from Mediterranean storms and has made Monaco significant ever since the Greeks founded the colony of Monoikos in ancient times and dedicated it to their God Heracles.