Villa San Michele, Capri
They say things happen for a reason and that definitely applies to how I stumbled upon the Villa of San Michele on the beautiful island of Capri during my Italian travels this past May. The villa is located in Anacapri, the quieter side of the island (read: less tourists), and if it hadn’t been for a little rain that morning, I wouldn’t have learned this special house even existed. The plan for the day was supposed to start with visiting the famed Blue Grotto, however with the less than ideal weather, tweaks were made and a morning stroll through town, while waiting for the clouds to clear, became the new itinerary. During the walk through town, we came upon the Villa of San Michele, open to the public as a museum, and I was immediately intriqued.
From the outside, the building doesn’t scream for attention, but the magic lies behind the street facade, where a simple, yet beautiful home unfolds, along with acres of gardens and special outdoor rooms. The group of people I was traveling with never went inside b/c the weather did in fact clear up and they left for the Blue Grotto. I knew I had to explore the Villa of San Michele and decided to pass on the trip to the famed Grotto with the group, so I could savor some quiet time alone at Villa San Michele. Best. decision. ever.
The villa was built by the Swedish doctor, Axel Munthe. He had been to Capri early in his life and saw the site of the current San Michele and knew he would one day own and live there. And that, he eventually did. Munthe documented his life and the building / renovation of San Michele by writing a curated autobiography of his personal life experiences, called The Story of San Michele. Although first published in 1929, his sarcasm and commentary on culture still seems very relevant and applicable to today. Funny how that can be. Or is that scary? Never mind, don’t answer that.
Even after spending a life of traveling the globe as a doctor, this treasured villa and it’s surrounding gardens and land on Anacapri remained Munthe’s happy place. With this view, can we really blame him?
I’d love to cook in this charming kitchen of black, white and copper. And I never want to cook, so it has to be good. Painted black window frames for the win every time.
But now, on to one of the best parts…the courtyard! It’s a clear mixture of architectural styles that Munthe brought together on his own whim. He played architect. Thin gothic-style columns supporting archways stand perpendicular to stout doric columns on the upper level. A single Corinthian column on the lower level. Why choose one style when you can have them all? I would die to have those hexagon marble pavers on my patio at home.
And from the top level of the courtyard, you walk out to this beautiful loggia surrounding an external courtyard filled with sculptures, greenery, and Roman artifacts found in the soil while building San Michele. Swoon!
Further onto the grounds, a chapel that had existed in some capacity already on the site when Munthe bought the property. He mentions using the chapel as an office and for musical performances. The simple trellis covered in greenery provides a perfectly scaled canopy to the chapel entrance.
Hard to deny the existence of Roman gods with a sea view like this from the arcade outside the chapel.
After visiting San Michele, I have no regrets of following my instinct and splitting from the group that day to explore a special place on Capri that I knew I may never get back to. Sometimes we have to break from the pack and wander on our own to find the truly special places in life.