The Villa San Michele was built about the end of the 19th century on the isle of
Capri,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, by the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
physician and author
Axel Munthe.
Description
The villa's gardens have panoramic views of the town of
Capri and its harbour, the
Sorrentine Peninsula
The Sorrento Peninsula or Sorrentine Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy which separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south.
Geography
Overview
The peninsula is named after its main town, ...
, and
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
. The villa sits on a ledge at the top of the
Phoenician Steps, between
Anacapri
Anacapri () is a ''comune'' on the island of Capri, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy.
Anacapri is located higher on the island than Capri (about higher on average)http://www.capritourism.com/imgg/download/capri_map_en.pdf —the Anc ...
and Capri, at a height of above sea level.
San Michele's gardens are adorned with many relics and works of art dating from
ancient Egypt and other periods of
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. They now form part of the
Grandi Giardini Italiani.
In his later years, Axel Munthe wrote his youthful memoir ''
The Story of San Michele'', which describes how he first visited the island and built the villa, decorated with the remains of palaces built by the Ancient Romans which he found on his land. This colourfully written book was first published in 1929 and became an immediate worldwide success, being translated into many languages. It has been reprinted many times since then.
Between 1919 and 1920, Munthe was an unwilling landlord to the outrageous socialite and muse
Luisa Casati
Luisa, Marchesa Casati Stampa di Soncino (born Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman; 23 January 1881 – 1 June 1957), was an Italian heiress, muse, and patroness of the arts in early 20th-century Europe.
Early life
Luisa Adele Rosa Maria Amman was born ...
, who took possession of Villa San Michele. This was described by the Scottish author
Compton Mackenzie
Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish nationalist. He was one of th ...
in his diaries.
Gallery
File:Villa San Michele Sphinx.jpg, Sphinx
File:The loggia at Axel Munthe's Villa San Michele 2005.jpg, Pergola with Roman statue
File:Axel munthe's chapel - villa san michele.jpg, Chapel
File:Villa San Michele Interior.jpg, Loggia
In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...
with statues
File:Loggia at Villa San Michele.jpg, Pergola
File:View from Villa San Michele.jpg, View of the sea from Villa San Michele
References
Further reading
*
External links
Villa San MichelePhoto Gallery by Leonardo Bellotti
{{Authority control
San Michele
Buildings and structures in Capri, Campania