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House museum · Capri, Campânia
Villa San Michele
House and garden of the Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe in Anacapri, built over the remains of a Roman villa, with a view of the golfo de Nápoles.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Villa San Michele
Axel Munthe, a Swedish doctor, came to Capri when he was young and, at the end of the 19th century, built his house in Anacapri, the higher town on the island, on the site of a chapel dedicated to San Michele. The story of the house and his life is told in the book O Livro de San Michele, published in 1929 and translated into dozens of languages.
The house preserves furniture, objects and ancient pieces, some Roman, gathered by Munthe. The garden is full of pergolas, cypresses and columns, and ends in a loggia with a granite sphinx looking out to sea, about 300 meters above Marina Grande.
Today the villa belongs to a Swedish foundation and operates as a museum and cultural center, with concerts in the garden in summer. Anacapri is the other town on the island, quieter than Capri, with white houses, the church of San Michele, whose ceramic floor depicts the Paraíso Terrestre, and the sandal shops on Via Orlandi.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
From one hour to one and a half hours.
Best time
In the morning, before tour groups. Late afternoon has good light in the garden.
How to get there
Bus from Capri or from Marina Grande to Anacapri and about a five-minute walk from the Piazza Vittoria. From Marina Grande, the Scala Fenicia, an ancient staircase, climbs close to the village for those with the energy.
Tip
Combine the visit with the Monte Solaro chairlift, which departs from the same square in Anacapri. Read a passage from Munthe's book before you go.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Villa San Michele
Who was Axel Munthe?
A Swedish physician and writer who built the villa at the end of the 19th century and told the story in the book The Story of San Michele.
How to get to Villa San Michele?
By bus to Anacapri and a short walk from Piazza Vittoria.
What else to see in Anacapri?
The church of San Michele, with a ceramic floor depicting the Garden of Eden, the streets of white houses and the Monte Solaro chairlift.