Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe
Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Capri audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Capri Capri guide
About Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe
The villa built by the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe near Anacapri, the subject of his 1929 memoir The Story of San Michele, with an extraordinary terrace sphinx and views of the Bay of Naples, now open as a museum.
Villa San Michele is one of the most visited historical houses in Italy, a fascinating building created by the Swedish physician Axel Munthe (1857-1949) on the site of an ancient chapel and a Roman ruin at the top of the Scala Fenicia, the ancient stairway to Anacapri. Munthe bought the site in 1896 and spent several decades building his dream house: a mixture of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance architectural elements, incorporating ancient columns, medieval arches, and Roman mosaic fragments collected or acquired during his years in Capri. The house is the subject of his famous autobiography The Story of San Michele, published in 1929, which became one of the best-selling books in the 20th century and has been translated into more than 40 languages. The most celebrated feature of the villa is the loggia terrace with its Egyptian granite sphinx, looking out over the Gulf of Naples, a view that Munthe described as "the most beautiful view in the world." The villa was left by Munthe to the Swedish state and is administered by a Swedish-Italian foundation; it is open to visitors as a museum and contains Munthe's eclectic collection of Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque objects.
Did you know? Axel Munthe's The Story of San Michele has been continuously in print since 1929 and has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling memoirs in history. The book was particularly popular in the Nordic countries, where Munthe was considered a national hero, and in Britain, where it went through 45 editions in the first ten years after publication.
How long should you spend at Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe?
Plan about ~60 min at Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe worth visiting?
Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe is one of the 15 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Capri, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Capri
Hear the story of Villa San Michele: Axel Munthe
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