Villa San Michele in Anacapri was the home of the Swedish physician, Axel Munthe. Built on the ruins of an ancient Chapel dedicated to San Michele, the villa now belongs to the Axel Munthe Foundation and has been transformed into a Museum. In his book "The History of San Michele", the Swedish doctor tells of his arrival in Capri in 1885 and the progressive construction of the villa; which followed a series of sketches made on a wall rather a precise set of plans.
The building is articulated on various levels: the study is on the first floor, the loggia crosses pergolas and columns to reach a circular viewpoint which looks out across the Gulf of Naples. In Villa San Michele a number of ancient artefacts are displayed - objects found by Munthe in Capri, Anacapri and elsewhere, some of which donated by friends.
Fragments of sarcophaguses, busts, Roman paving, marble and columns can be seen. In the garden there is a Greek tomb and a granite Sphinx which gazes out over the whole Island of Capri. Although he was a doctor by profession, it was for his work as a writer that Munthe became famous. He gained recognition as a man of art and culture, and as a philanthropist who nurtured a great love of animals.
