Francesco Grimaldi called il Malizia ("the Cunning"), was the Genoese

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

 leader of the Guelph

Guelphs and Ghibellines

The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...

s who captured the Rock of Monaco

Rock of Monaco

The Rock of Monaco is a 141 meter tall monolith on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco.-History:The Rock has been a coveted possession from the beginning of the ancient Massilian colony of Monoïkos , named for the Ligurian tribes who occupied the area and vied for control of it;...

 on the night of 8 January 1297. He was the son of Guglielmo Grimaldi by his wife Giacoba.

Dressed as a Franciscan monk, François was greeted at the gates of Monaco's castle

Prince's Palace of Monaco

The Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the...

, only then to seize the castle with his cousin Rainier I

Rainier I of Monaco, Lord of Cagnes

Rainier I of Monaco was the first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. He also held the title of Lord of Cagnes...

, Lord of Cagnes, and a group of men behind him. The event is commemorated on the Monegasque coat of arms

Coat of arms of Monaco

The Royal Arms of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II are his arms of dominion in right of Monaco.-Interior:The central shield is "blazoned" , fusily argent and gules.-Exterior:...

, where the supporters are two monks armed with swords. He held the citadel of Monaco for four years before being chased out by the Genoeses. The battle over "the rock" was taken over by his kinsmen. Francois, or Francesco, thus failed to establish Grimaldi's rule over Monaco, but was the first to attempt to do so.

He was married in 1295 to Aurelia del Carretto; the marriage was childless. The modern Grimaldis are therefore not the direct descendants of Francesco. After his death, in 1309, he was succeeded by his cousin (and stepson), Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes.

His cousin's descendants, the Grimaldi

House of Grimaldi

The House of Grimaldi is associated with the history of the Republic of Genoa and of the Principality of Monaco.-History:The Grimaldi family descends from Grimaldo, a Genoese statesman at the time of the early Crusades. He might have been a son of Otto Canella, a consul of the Republic of Genoa in...

 family, still rule Monaco today, with Prince Albert II

Albert II, Prince of Monaco

Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...

, the head of the House of Grimaldi.