Villa San Michele
Encyclopedia
The Villa San Michele was built around the turn of the 20th century by the Swedish
physician, Axel Munthe
, on the ruins of the Roman Emperor Tiberius
's villa
, on the Isle of Capri
, Italy
. Its gardens have panoramic views of Capri
town and its marina, the Sorrentine Peninsula
and Mount Vesuvius
. The villa and its grounds sit on a ledge at the top of the Phoenician Steps
, between Anacapri
and Capri, at 327 meters above sea level.
San Michele's gardens are adorned with numerous relics and works of art dating from ancient Egypt
and other periods of antiquity. They now form part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani
.
The story of the villa is recorded by Dr. Munthe in his book entitled The Story of San Michele
, published in 1929. There have been numerous reprints since.
In 1919–1920, Munthe was an unwilling landlord to the outrageous socialite and muse Luisa Casati
, who took possession of Villa San Michele. This was described by Scottish author Compton Mackenzie
in his diaries.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
physician, Axel Munthe
Axel Munthe
Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe was a Swedish psychiatrist, best known as the author of The Story of San Michele, an autobiographical account of his life and work....
, on the ruins of the Roman Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
's villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
, on the Isle of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Its gardens have panoramic views of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
town and its marina, the Sorrentine Peninsula
Sorrentine Peninsula
The Sorrentine Peninsula or Sorrento Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy that separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south.-Overview:...
and Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
. The villa and its grounds sit on a ledge at the top of the Phoenician Steps
Phoenician Steps
The Phoenician Steps of Capri are a long and steep stone stairway that unites the population center of Capri with that of Anacapri...
, between Anacapri
Anacapri
Anacapri is a comune on the island of Capri, in the province of Naples, Italy. The Ancient Greek prefix ana means "up" or "above", signifying that Anacapri is located at a higher elevation on the island than Capri . Administratively, it has a separate status from the city of Capri...
and Capri, at 327 meters above sea level.
San Michele's gardens are adorned with numerous relics and works of art dating from ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
and other periods of antiquity. They now form part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani
Grandi Giardini Italiani
The Grandi Giardini Italiani is an association of major gardens in Italy. Its members include some of the most important gardens in Italy.- List of member gardens :* Fondazione Pompeo Mariani * Giardini Botanici di Stigliano...
.
The story of the villa is recorded by Dr. Munthe in his book entitled The Story of San Michele
The Story of San Michele
The Story of San Michele is a book of memoirs by Swedish physician Axel Munthe first published in 1929 by British publisher John Murray. Written in English, it was a best-seller in numerous languages and has been republished constantly in the over seven decades since its original...
, published in 1929. There have been numerous reprints since.
In 1919–1920, Munthe was an unwilling landlord to the outrageous socialite and muse Luisa Casati
Luisa Casati
Luisa, Marquise Casati Stampa di Soncino was an eccentric Italian heiress, muse, and patroness of the arts in early 20th century Europe...
, who took possession of Villa San Michele. This was described by Scottish author Compton Mackenzie
Compton Mackenzie
Sir Compton Mackenzie, OBE was a writer and a Scottish nationalist.-Background:Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool, England, into a theatrical family of Mackenzies, but many of whose members used Compton as their stage surname, starting with his grandfather Henry Compton, a well-known...
in his diaries.