Residential architecture
The historical villas of Monaco represent a significant example of residential architecture. Originally seen as symbols of Belle Epoque luxury, they were once emblematic of the Principality itself. However, by the 1950s they were viewed by Monaco's Consultative Committee on Public Works as a social anachronism. While recent years have seen a renewed appreciation within the Principality for villa architecture, the number of historic villas remaining declines each year. In 1954 the Principality possessed 688 villas; only a small fraction of that number still survive.
Heritage and its recognition.
The urban history of Monaco and its villas has, until recently, been subject to poor documentation and archiving. As of 2016, Monaco still had no official preservation laws governing historic buildings.
In 1960 Prince Rainier III established the Monaco Economic Development Corporation to attract new business to the Principality. It was successful in this, but the influx of new investors and workers resulted in a wave of demolitions of Belle Epoque villas to enable the construction of apartments and new hotels.
Following major development in the 1970s, Prince Rainier III banned high rise development in the Principality. However, his successor, Prince Albert II, overturned the Sovereign Order. This, and a further influx of new residents, accelerated the destruction of the architectural heritage of single family villas for new luxury apartments. Demands for affordable public housing led to further villa demolitions. In 2013, an official publication documenting the urban history of the Principality called it a place where "architecture is temporary".
In a nation where public dissent is rare, there was significant criticism of the destruction. The 2013 demolition of the Art Deco Sporting d'Hiver ("Winter Sporting") Club building, and the rotunda of the Hôtel de Paris and its 1900 extensions, caused further dismay, and the establishment of protest group "Monaco Patrimoine", whose leader was quoted as saying: "Monaco is destroying, without scruples, villas from the Belle Epoque…Monaco is losing its identity", and it was termed "a genocide of memories".
In 2015, a major row broke out between the Government and the elected National Council over the demolition of the picturesque Belle Epoque-style 1931 apartment building Le Palais de la Plage (37 Avenue Princesse Grace – originally Boulevard des Bas-Moulins), which sat on the beachfront, and was replaced by an apartment building of the same name. The President of the Cultural and Heritage Mission of the National Council, Daniel Boéri, termed the demolition "brutal", and that Monegasque citizens were being treated by the Government as "children incapable of reason". While a heritage law and Heritage Institute was still in planning, he said: "That we are still at this point in 2015 is breathtaking... The example of the Palais de la Plage is a perfect illustration of its absolute necessity."
In 2015, it was revealed that Monaco state officials had, in a town planning document, identified 93 'remarkable' buildings and 29 'remarkable' facades worth preserving. However, these are to be re-evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The list also offered no guarantee of protection and was criticised for its major absences, including entire streets, and the Hotel de Paris, the Sporting d'Hiver, and the Hermitage.
List of historic and notable villas.
Surviving villas are listed in boldfont; those known to have been demolished are in plainfont. Those identified as "remarkable" by the state (see above) are indicated with an asterisk.* Note: new apartment/office constructions are often bestowed the same names as the villas they replaced.
AVENUE L'ANNONCIADE
AVENUE CARLOTTA (A private road in the La Rousse quarter that is no longer in existence, having been subsumed by development.)
AVENUE DE LA COSTA
AVENUE DE GRANDE BRETAGNE (previously AVENUE DES FLEURS)
AVENUE PRINCESSE GRACE (previously BOULEVARD DES BAS-MOULINS) 
AVENUE DE LA MADONE
AVENUE D'OSTENDE
AVENUE DU PORT
AVENUE ROQUEVILLE
AVENUE SAINT CHARLES
AVENUE SAINT LAURENT
AVENUE SAINT MICHEL
AVENUE SAINT MARTIN
AVENUE SAINT ROMAN
BOULEVARD DE BELGIQUE
BOULEVARD DE FRANCE
BOULEVARD D'ITALIE
BOULEVARD DU JARDIN EXOTIQUE (previously BOULEVARD DE L'OBSERVATOIRE) 
BOULEVARD DES MOULINS
BOULEVARD PRINCESSE CHARLOTTE (previously BOULEVARD DU NORD)
BOULEVARD RAINIER III (originally BOULEVARD DE L'OUEST)
BOULEVARD DE SUISSE
BOULEVARD DU TENAO
DESCENTE DU LARVOTTO
ESCALIER SAINT-DÉVOTE
PLACE DUE MARCHÉ
PLACE DES MOULINS
ROUTE DE LA MOYENNE CORNICHE
RUE AUGUSTIN VENTO 
RUE BEL RESPIRO
RUE BELLEVUE
RUE COLONEL BELLANDO DE CASTRO
RUE DES AÇORES
RUE DES GENÊTS
RUE DES GIROFLÉES
RUE DES REMPARTS
RUE GRIMALDI
RUE HUBERT–CLERISSI (previously RUE DES AGAVES)
RUE HONORÉ LABANDE
RUE DES IRIS
RUE LOUIS AURÉGLIA (previously RUE DES MONEGHETTI) 
RUE DE MILLO
RUE DES ORCHIDÉES
RUE PLATI
RUE PRINCESSE CAROLINE
RUE PRINCESSE FLORESTINE
RUE RÉVÉREND PÈRE LOUIS FROLLA (ex RUE DES ORCHIDEES)
RUE SUFFREN REYMOND
RUE TERRAZZINI
RUELLE SAINTE-DÉVOTE
UNIDENTIFIED ADDRESSES
References.
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