GENOVIA: WHAT IS IT? EXISTS? WHAT IS IT BASED ON? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Genovia is a fictional country that is mentioned in the books The Princess Diaries by the writer Meg Cabot. In the books it is described as a very small, beautiful and mountainous nation located in Western Europe, between France and Italy, along the Mediterranean Sea. However, in its adaptation to the cinema it is situated between Spain and France.

There is a book printed in Venezuela in 1986 written by Ángel Bernardo Viso whose name is The Amazing Case of Genovia, narrated by Cándido Motamayor. It is an edition and translation of the original work whose author is unknown. The book talks about a country called Genovia and the mysteries of its origin and location.

Cover of the book The Amazing Case of Genovia

In the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, there is a micronation called the Empire of Genovia inaugurated on January 14, 2012 with the name of the Federal Republic of United Monarchies. It has a constitution and an emperor.

Being a micronation, it is not recognized by the state or any other institution; It is a self-proclaimed entity, created as a proposal for a country model, artistic expression or political protest.

Does Genovia Exist?

Genovia does not exist. As mentioned, it is a fictional place from the books The Amazing Case of Genovia and The Diary of a Princess and it is also the name of a place invented in Ecuador that is given the name of the Empire of Genovia.

However, there is a website that invites you to visit it as a real place and claims to be the official government website. But this does not constitute proof of the existence of this country.

The Kingdom of Genovia (

Barry deakin

In the Disney saga of The Princess Diaries /, Genovia took center stage. In the context of history, Genovia, is a sovereign state located in western Europe that borders France, Spain and the Mediterranean Sea, whose main source of trade is the cultivation of pears, which have a lot of prestige.

It is a kingdom whose throne has no next heir. Prince Eduard Philippe Christoph Gérard Renaldi, who was the next successor, died in a car accident, while his brother Prince Pierre Gérard Renaldi renounced his right to the throne.

The widowed queen Clarisse Renaldi, their mother, sets out on a journey to find her granddaughter Mia Thermopolis, the only one who could save the monarchy from the Genovian royal family.

What is it based on?

Genovia is considered - in Meg Cabot's books - as a fictional version of the sovereign country of Monaco. This is because it has many similar characteristics such as its location between France and Italy, its status as the rule of law, its monarchical system and its short territorial extension (Monaco is the second smallest sovereign country in the world).

Additionally, the Renaldi family surname was inspired by the Grimaldi family, which has ruled Monaco for centuries. The first members of the Grimaldi family were originally from Genoa (Italy), a city in which the name Genovia is also inspired.

In the Disney movies, Genovia is located between France and Spain, on a real map this place is occupied by the Principality of Andorra, a sovereign microstate that also shares some characteristics with the fictional Principality of Genovia.

Directorate of Intelligence, CIA

In the book translated and edited by Ángel Bernardo Viso The Amazing Case of Genovia, it can be deduced that the named place is also located in Western Europe, between France, Italy and Spain.

Angel Bernardo commented in the introduction to the book that he had to translate a language called Genovian, made up of a mixture of French, Italian and Catalan.

History in the fictional world

First version

In 1933, the Independence of Genovia was declared in France. It became a rule of law and was recognized by more than a hundred countries around the world. Following this, the Mignonette-Renaldi family began to rule the Principality.

This country has never participated in any war. Although it has a Royal Guard that is responsible for the security of the nation and the royal family, since it does not have its own army. Spain is the country responsible for its protection.

The history of Genovia has left with it the work of different monuments such as the Royal Monastery of Saint Philip Renaldi, the Roman Bridge of Pyrus and the Roman Aqueduct of Perth.

Second version

Genovia was a state that was under the Kingdom of France. On January 13, 1704, France signed a treaty for the liberation of the province, being designated as an independent sovereign state. That same year the country's constitution was written.

At that time, it had approximately 70,000 inhabitants and its system of government consisted of a monarchy, which has been maintained throughout its history.

The first king of Genovia was Andrew Lendothal, who died in 1732 and left his wife Emily in charge of the throne. When Queen Emily died, her son Andrew became King Andrew II, who ruled with his wife Queen Carla until 1764. The heir to the throne this time was his daughter Elana, who ruled until her death in 1802 and put end to the line of succession of the Lendothal house.

The next family to rule was the Tokein family. Carl Tokein was first in line, but he died a few years after taking the throne, and the heir was his son Greg who ruled until 1840. House Tokein's reign did not last long.

The Rhoades family was next. He ruled until the reign of Alexander I, who carried the succession of powers to another branch of the family and ruled until 1970 after his death. Alexander I's granddaughter, Clarisse Renaldi, now governs with her granddaughter Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi.

References

1. Ahmed, RN (2016) Calculating the minimum amount of income Genovia makes from exporting pears. England.: Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics. Recovered from: journals.le.ac.uk
2. Barry, M. (2018) The Principality of Genovia. Recovered from: nationstates.net
3. Viso, AB (1986) The amazing case of Genovia, narrated by Cándido Motamayor. Recovered from: books.google.co.ve
4. Reilly, K. (2016) Is Genovia a real place? The 'Princess Diaries' Kingdom sounded too good to be real. Recovered from: bustle.com
5. Visit Genovia! The official site of the Genovia Government. Tourist Office and convention Authority. Recovered from: visitgenovia.com
6. Genovia. Recovered from: wikipedia.org
7. Genovia. Recovered from: esacademic.com
8. Monaco. Recovered from: wikipedia.org
9. LR shows. (2019) Anne Hathaway, Queen of Genovia: does the country of the movie 'The Princess Diaries' exist? Recovered from: larepublica.pe
10. Micronational Wiki. Genovia Empire. Recovered from: fandom.com
11. History of Genovia (1500-1704) Recovered from: fandom.com