Munegascu: A typeface for writing the Monégasque language

In the world of type design, there are moments when creativity can be paired with the preservation of cultural heritage. This project was one of those rare opportunities, allowing me to meet the singular needs of a rich yet minority language: Monégasque.

Monégasque, a regional language derived from Ligurian, is one of the cultural treasures of the Principality of Monaco. With only a few hundred speakers, its preservation has become a priority. A recent Monegasque law now requires the language to be taught up to the third year of secondary school, enabling younger generations to reclaim their linguistic heritage.

However, this revitalization faces an unexpected obstacle: technology. A unique feature of Monégasque is its vertical stress accent. Unfortunately, vowels marked with such vertical diacritics have never been included in Unicode standards. Essentially, these letters “don’t exist”—at least, not for computers.

As a result, typing letters with this stress accent is impossible, or at least very complicated. Due to the lack of appropriate solutions, local associations have long resorted to “hacked” fonts. This limitation confined Monégasque publications to static PDF files, severely restricting their digital dissemination and broader adoption.

A linguistic and technical challenge

In this context, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM), the Comité National des Traditions Monégasques (CNTM), and Sogeda decided to act. Ivan Arkhanguelsky, head of the web team, reached out to me with a mission: to create a dedicated typeface capable of addressing the specific needs of the Monégasque language. A font that would make it easy to compose stress accents despite the limitations of current systems.

A fork of an open-source typeface

Rather than starting from scratch, we chose to base our work on an open-source typeface. This flexible and cost-effective option also allows for broad, royalty-free distribution. We selected Archivo, an elegant, contemporary font created by the Argentine type foundry Omnibus Type. We developed a fork—a modified version—by integrating Monégasque accented characters using the advanced features of the OpenType format.

Renamed Munegascu, the typeface is now available for free download on the CNTM website.

Simplifying text input

A remaining challenge was the absence of Monégasque letters on standard keyboards. Because of course, producing custom Monégasque keyboards is currently an economically unfeasible option. We needed a solution allowing French keyboard users to easily type letters that aren’t even part of the Unicode repertoire.

To achieve this, I had to devise an ingenious method for typing the vertical stress accent. Here’s how it works: when a vertical bar is typed immediately after a vowel, it is automatically transformed into the stress accent and correctly positioned above the letter. This transformation happens instantly and seamlessly.

This solution is simple, intuitive, and accessible to non-specialist users. The vertical bar, in addition to evoking the shape of the accent, is conveniently available on standard keyboards.

This clever workaround works by default on most software programs, even in Word. It required a few coding tricks, but the result is both practical and functional.

A universal solution

A simpler approach could have involved replacing French accented letters unused in Monégasque with the missing Monégasque letters—such as substituting è for the stressed e. However, this would have rendered the typeface unsuitable for composing French text, essentially creating a “ghettoized” typeface. Such a solution would also be a major encoding error.

Thanks to this innovative approach, Munegascu remains compatible with other languages. And this is another significant benefit for users: in addition to enabling seamless text input, the typeface remains universal, allowing the Monégasque language to thrive in a broader context.

Highlighting cultural heritage

This project was a long journey, both technical and human, blending tradition and innovation. As a type designer, I take pride in having contributed to the development of the Monégasque language.

I extend my warmest thanks to Ivan Arkhanguelsky, Claude Manzone, and everyone involved in this project for their trust.

This typeface, now used in local publications and education, is a tangible example of how typography can serve noble cultural causes. It is a powerful tool for preserving minority languages and identities.