X   About Us Monte Cristos

Who knows how many Monte Cristos, as we call ourselves, live around the world. They would seem no different than any other peoples of Italian or French ancestry living ordinary lives on the streets of Paris, London, New York,  or even in small towns.  Without a recognised government or homeland to conduct a proper census, who can say. We may never really know. But, in spirit, we are legions... if not millions.

After the Santorini brotherhood compact that would eventually witness the freedom of Greece from Ottoman Turkish rule, the decendants of Red Beard and Dragut returned to their respective lands of exile and domicile, primarily in the USA, Italy and Spain. For much of the 20th Century they fell out of touch with each other, like all of mankind becoming embroiled in the war, politics and problems of the world, and unable to focus on the cause of their native land.

However, in the Fall of 2004 by the grace of the miracle that is the internet they were able to get together in cyber space to re-form the Provisional Revolutionary Government that had originally met with Napoleon that lovely day in 1814, at his villa just outside Portoferraio on Elba, leaving believing they had won the cause of a free and independent Monte Cristo. Only later did they face the stark realization that neither France, nor any the Great Powers after Waterloo would or could recognize free Monte Cristo.

The Provisional Government today is led by a Great Council, composed of three noble Counts, Walter Giuliani, Jorge Fernandez Vidal and Stephen Kurt Vogelsang, all holding posts within the Government. In their "civilian" lives; Jorge is a coin maker and designer in Galicia, Northern Spain, Walter is a political activist in Northern Italy and Stephen is an academic living in California. All are direct decendents of the great Monte Cristo pirates Red Beard and Dragut.

At the 2006 G8 summit in Russia, a great rally was held to demand recognition of Monte Cristo independence. Leading the protests were local women waving Monte Cristo and traditional pirate "skull n' crossbones" flags.

The Official Platform of the Monte Cristo Provisional Government: (Governo Provvisorio della Repubblica Rivoluzionaria di Monte Cristo) calls for the following; 1) Continued maintnence and protection of Monte Cristo's environment as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. 2) The establishment of horse and donkey stables and trails on the island to enable the few annual visitors to explore the island in an environmentally sound manner, under the watchful eyes of Forest Ministry Guards and of course our mascot, Bob the Goat. 3) The establishment of a small oceanographic station, perhaps in connection with the Jaques Cousteau Foundation or Scripps of San Diego, to help monitor, perserve and perhaps even help repopulate native marine species throughout the Archipelago. 4) Continued dialogue with other foreign states to achieve recognition as the duely constituted Government of the Monte Cristo Republic. (current dialogue is underway with L'ile Heliopolis, Atlantium, Ladonia, Redonda and Molossia. 5) Achieving eventually by peaceful means recognition of independence by the Republic of Italy. 6) Using our website, coins and products to further awareness of the rich environmental and mythological history of the island of Montecristo. 7) Admission of Monte Cristo into the European Union.

Proclamation of the Rights of Man: The Republic of Monte Cristo has no separation of powers since sovereignty of the island is still pending. All power is vested in the Great Council, acting on the behalf of the Provisional Government in-exile. The preamble to our Constitution contains the philosophies and basis of our government, and is in Articles 1 thru 17 a reiteration of Jean Paul Marat's Rights of Man adopted by the National Assembly, 26 August 1789. All additional Articles are from the United Nation's Universal Rights of Man, 10 December 1948, and traditional Laws of the Brotherhood of the Coast.

Monte Cristo Proclamation of the Rights of Man: Articles 1-17 adopted by Great Council on 1 January 1814, confirmed 1 January 2005. All additional Articles adopted 1 January 2005.

Preamble: The representatives of the Monte Cristan people, organized in their absense as the Great Council of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, believing that the ignorance, neglect or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in solemn proclamation  the natural, unalienble, and sacred rights of man, in order that this proclamation, being constantly before all the members of the Council body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the future legislative power, as well as those of any future executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the future constitution and redound to the happiness of all. Therefore the Great Council recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and the citizen:

                                                                       Articles of 1814

1) Men are born free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be delineated and observed when upon the general good.

2) The aim of political association thru time is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptable rights of man. These rights include, but are not exclusive to, liberty,  property ownership, security, and resistance to opression.

3) The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially, and foremost, in the nation. No body or individual may exercise authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.

4) Liberty consists of the freedom to do that which harms no other; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limitation except those which assure others of enjoying the same rights. These limits should be determined by law.

5) Law can only prohibit such actions as are harmful to society generally. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and nobody may be forced to do that which is not provided for by law.

6) Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has the right to participate personally, or via representation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens are equally eligible to all dignities and public positions and duties according to their abilities and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.

7) No person shall experience arrest, accusation, or imprisonment, except in cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Anyone soliciting, transmitting, executing or causing to be executed any arbitrary order shall himself be punished under lawful method.

8) The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly or obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed or promulgated before the commission of the offense.

9) As all persons are held innocent until declared to be guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensible, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severly repressed by law.

10) Nobody shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including religious views, provided said manifestation does not disturb the public order preset and established by law.

11) The free communication of ideas and opinions, is perhaps the most precious of the various rights of man. Everyone may therefor speak, write and print with freedom, but shall be held accountable for such abuses of said freedoms as prescribed in law. Law may only stipulate such restrictions in preserving others their rights listed in these Articles.

12) The security of the rights of man and citizens unfortunately does require military force. But, these forces are to be established for the public good and shall not permit the personal use or personable ambition of those reponsible to exercise military duty.

13) A common contribution, tax, is essential is for maintnence of public forces and cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all citizens in proportion to their financial and property means.

14) All citizens have the right to decide as to the necessity of the public contribution, to know what uses it is taken for, to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment means of collection and duration of taxation.

15) Society has the right to inquire of every public agent a full accounting of his administration, financial costs and performance.

16) A society without observance of law and assurance thereof, nor seperation of powers, well defined, has no constitution at all, unless such formal construction be temporarally impracticable due to remoteness, distance and exile, in such case those administering and representing the citizens must so constitute themselves immediately upon their ability to do so, or they have no mandate to rule at all.

17) Since property is considered a sacred right, nobody shall be deprived thereof except in the public good, legally determined manner, and only when the owner shall have been previously and equitably so indemnified.

                                                                     Articles of 2005

18) All citizens shall be compelled to act toward fellow citizens in a spirit of brotherhood.

19) No distinction shall be made on the citizenry, expect when it is necessary administratively for common good, on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, language, religion, national origin or native born, wealth, or other arbitrary status of the human condition. No international body may make distinction of the status of the nation state to which a person belongs, be it independent, trust, non-self governing or other limitations of sovereignty.

20) No man may be held in servitude, whatever its manifestations, and no law promulgating said shall be permitted.

21) Every state has the right to recognition as a representation of the peoples there domiciled.

22) Incitement to discimination before the law is a violation, and equal to discrimination itself. No distinction in law should be granted between them.

23) Everyone has the right to request hearing of grievance and request remedy of judicial institution erected for protection of rights of man. They likewise are entitled to the right of appeal said judgements to an appropriate apellate body.

24) No person should be held or arrested in violation of a law of any state if the alledged transgretion occurred at a time when the laws violated were not in existencce.

25) Nobody shall be subjected to interference with his public and private correspondence, nor internal family relations, nor attacks to his honor and reputation. Law is foremost to be charged with protection thereof.

26) All have the right to appeal to another state for asylum, for whatever reason, but especially violations in enforcement of human rights in their native state.

27) All have the right to a nationality. No one may be deprived of nationality or cast into a condition of statelessness. No one may be deprived of right to change nationality.

28) Men and women are entitled to equal rights in founding family, in marriage, and the dissolution thereof. Marriage is only considered as existing when both parties enter into it freely and with consesnt. No law may be created which causes, even unintentionally family disintergration.

29) All have the right of assembly, for promotion of their religious, political or intellectual beliefs, provided they do not infringe the rights of others, or compelled into a forced assembly not of their choice.

30) No discrimination shall be imposed before law or limitation of any rights inumerated in these Articles on the basis of physical handicap. Free access to public and private buildings must be provided to the handicapped, to the fullest extent financially reasonable and capable.

31) The will of the people is the basis for the authority of any government, and full and fair elections to governmental representative positions must be held as soon as practicable to establish such will. Elections muct be conducted with the open observation of the fourth estate to insure integrity.

32) Everyone has the write to a social security, in the event of serious disability or age, to guarentee the most essential provisions of human needs, to include but not limited to; housing, food, medicine, water, clothing, utilities, accomodation to age and disablity and transportation. Accomodation must be granted to pregnant women, and parents with children, for the required fulfillment of family responsibility.

33) All have the right to employment, and a free choice of said, as well as fair recompence minimum wage, safe working conditions, and the right to form unions of assembly to represent employees collectivelly in airing grievances and requests to employers. All employers are required to establish retirement funds, at thier expense of administration, but including reasonable sums of employee wages for fulfillment. All have the right to periods of leisure, per week and year.

34) No distinction shall be made by law on the basis of birth in or out of wedlock.

35) Education shall be provided by states up through the age of 18, and should be compulsitory for said minors, and university and vocational education made available at reasonable and affordable rates to all. Parents and guardians should have freedom of choice between state sponsored and private education for minors under their charge.

36) No citizen shall take actions which are deemed by the state to be contrary to the welfare of the public and natural environment, as the environment is communal ownership, and bestowed by the Supreme Being to all.

37) All citizens have the right to explore, witness and share their historical, cultural and natural histories via publically provided museums, web sites and similar accessable venues.

38) All citizens have the right of freedom of information, except that which would jeopardize the general security of the state and collective rights of others, for the administration and cost of administering governmental duties.

39) All citizens have the right to travel abroad and outside the state, including a passport, except when they are under suspicion of a crime or on parole for an offense previously judged guilty.

40) All citizens have to right to clean air and water, to the full extent obtainable by the state. The State is also held accountable for aid to citizens during natural disasters, and climactic uphevels, including but not limited to taking steps to limit the negative impact from and when possible reversing global warming caused by carbon pollutant emissions.

41) No laws may be passed which violate or are in other ways contrary to all rights renumerated in the Articles of 1814 and 2005. Laws should be enacted so as to guarentee said Articles, and provision made for citizens to petition their enactment and be informed of their state, condition and progress.

42) Since all men truely have only the rights they can defend, it is the reponsibility of the state to provide the means to the fullest extent possible. Such means are to include, but not restricted to;  military protection and public education.

43) The state shall provide to all citizens, via public media, an annual "State of the State" assessment of the status of the state in guarenteeing those rights enumerated herein, the general welfare and economy. When sovereignty is secured, a census is to be taken of all citizens and their condition for use by public policy analysts and servants of the people.

44) Women are to be extended full and total reproductive rights, including abortion and access to free or low cost birth control by the State. The question of Church policy relative to these rights is a matter between the Church, any religious institution, and the members thereof. However, State policy on reproductive rights must be free from the dictates of any religious body.

We are pleased to welcome Monte Cristos from around the world, and hope they will take the opportunity to register for their official citizenship, and heraldic title if they seek one. Friends of our homeland are just as welcome to apply, which they can do on this website. Purchasing a coin or other product helps to fund the website and peaceful diplomatic overtures to foreign governments and bodies, all in hopes of eventual recognition. We also donate proceeds from sales to a variety of important charities worldwide;

Charities: A part of the proceeds goes to a variety of charities, such as; Caritas Catholic Charities of Espana (www.caritas.es/), Catholic Charities USA (www.catholiccharitiesusa.com), Polish American Congress Charitable Fund (www.PolAmConChairFound/default.asp), Fondazione Exodus Online (www.exodus.it/) and Umanitaria Onlus of Italy. We are strong supporters of the Agenzia per il Turismo del Archipelago Toscana, Calatia, Portoferraio, Elba 57037 at www.aptelba.it). We support only peaceful and lawful efforts in advancing worthy causes. Our founders were a rough and tumble lot to be sure. A different age!