Villa San Michele
House museum of the Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe at Anacapri, with a collection of Roman antiquities and a panoramic garden.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Villa San Michele is the house that the Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe had built at Anacapri after buying the land in 1895. It stands where the remains of a 10th-century chapel dedicated to Saint Michael once stood, from which it takes its name. The works took many years, because the site had no roads and Munthe was often busy with his profession. He recounted the undertaking in the book “La storia di San Michele” (The Story of San Michele).
The villa holds Roman-period finds, Latin inscriptions and statues, many of them copies of ancient originals, including a head of the Gorgon in the study and the famous sphinx. The garden has a pergola with a copy of the “Hermes in riposo” (Resting Hermes) and terraces with wide views over the bay.
Munthe left the property to the Swedish state on his death in 1949. The villa was opened to visitors as early as the 1930s and became a museum in 1950; today it is one of the most visited places on the island of Capri.
Highlights
- Axel Munthe's house with Roman finds and statues
- Sphinx and garden with pergola and panoramic terraces
- Chapel of San Michele
- Guided visits to the Castello Barbarossa on Thursdays
Permanent exhibition
- Casa-museo di Axel Munthe – Rooms of the villa with Roman antiquities, sculptures and furnishings, and the garden with pergola and panoramic terraces.
- Visitors per year
- approx. 124,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €8young people and students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Free admission for children under 12. |
| Students & apprentices | €8 |
| School visits | €4 |
Groups should contact the museum.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The villa has several levels connected by stairs; according to the website it is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Piazza Vittoria (Anacapri) · 5-min walk
Bus from Marina Grande (about 20 minutes) or from Capri (about 10 minutes) to Piazza Vittoria in Anacapri, then on foot along Viale Axel Munthe.
Alternatively, from Marina Grande you can walk up the Scala Fenicia in about 40 minutes (a climb of about 350 metres), a route suitable only for those in good physical condition.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Billy's Bar café (09:30–17:00, closed on Mondays) and the museum shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (EN, IT, SV) |
| Good to know | The audio guide is free through the Useeum app, with texts in English, Italian and Swedish. Guided visits to the Castello Barbarossa and the ornithological station take place on Thursdays at 15:30 in April and October, and at 16:30 from May to September, by reservation (sanmichele@sanmichele.org, +39 081 837 1401). |
