The Villa
San Michele was built around the turn of the 19th century on the Isle of Capri,
Italy, by the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe.
The villa's
gardens have panoramic views of the town of Capri and its harbour, the
Sorrentine Peninsula, and Mount Vesuvius. The villa sits on a ledge at the top
of the Phoenician Steps, between Anacapri and Capri, at a height of 327 meters
above sea level.
San
Michele's gardens are adorned with many relics and works of art dating from
ancient Egypt and other periods of classical antiquity. They now form part of
the Grandi Giardini Italiani.
In his
later years, Axel Munthe wrote his haunting youthful memoir The Story of San
Michele, which describes how he first discovered the island and built the
villa, decorated with the remains of palaces built by the Ancient Romans which
he found on his land. This colourfully written book was first published in 1929
and became an immediate worldwide success, being translated into many
languages. It has been reprinted many times since then.
Between 1919 and 1920, Munthe was an unwilling landlord to the outrageous socialite and muse Luisa Casati, who took possession of Villa San Michele. This was described by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie in his diaries.
For a
number of years in the 1920’s Villa San Michele was rented by the eccentric
marquise Luisa Casati Stampa. By then, because of his eye health problems, Axel
Munthe had moved to Torre di Materita in a more shaded part of Anacapri.
The richest
woman in Europe of her time, Luisa Casati Stampa (1881–1957) was as famous as
she was infamous for her wildly extravagant lifestyle. She loved art and
literature and in her youth was the muse and mistress of the celebrated writer
Gabriele D’Annunzio. She frequented the most illustrious artists and
commissioned portraits from them, amongst others Giovanni Boldini and Augustus
John. Man Ray’s photographs of her show a dark lady with a 20’s bob and black
make-up framing her legendary large green eyes.
Luisa
Casati Stampa was mostly associated with Venice and Paris, where she gave
opulent banquets in her palaces, dressed in spectacular jewel-encrusted
creations. Cartier’s famous panther is said to have been inspired by her. In
Venice the marchesa could be seen walking the narrow streets at night naked
under her fur coat. Servants with torchlights would illuminate this living work
of art.
Her
extravagant lifestyle continued at Villa San Michele. Among other items, she
brought with her two cheetahs, a pair of greyhouds, two gilded gazelles and an
owl to liven up the gardens of the villa and she refurnished the rooms entirely
to her own taste. The marquise was drawn to the more decadent residents of
Capri and, for instance, took part in Jaques d’Adelswärd Fersen’s orgiastic
parties at Villa Lysis.
History
relates that Axel Munthe soon tired of his eccentric tenant, but it took him a
long time to get rid of her. When she finally left he cleared the villa of
every trace of her occupancy apart from her motto, which to this day can be
read on the wall of one of the rooms:
Oser
Vouloir Savoir Se Taire (Dare Want Know Stay Silent)
Through
constantly surpassing herself in lavish living Luisa Casati Stampa frittered
away the whole of her fortune. She died in poverty in London in 1957.
No comments:
Post a Comment