|
|
 Axel
Munthe was born in Oskarsham, Sweden, in 1857. He studied Medicine first in
Uppsala , then in Paris, where he graduated in gynecology and obstetricy in
1880, when he was only 23.
He
was student of the well-known alienist Charcot at the Salpetriere and the Hotel
Dieu and took very soon an interest in generic diseases. After opening a private
surgery in Paris, he became soon the doctor of the large colony of scandinavian
artists of the city. He devoted the most of his life to medicine and became a
worthy doctor provided with an exceptional ascending on his patients. He was the
doctor of many important people, like the royals of Sweden, for instance, but he
never scorned to offer his help to anyone needed it, no matter if poor or rich.
It
was just
after the serious Neapolitan epidemic of 1884 that he came for the first
time in Anacapri, where he decided to settle definitively in 1887 and work as
municipal doctor. As soon as he landed on the island, he fell in love with some
ruins of a little medieval chapel dedicated to S. Michele, surrounded by a large
vineyard hidding the ruins of a Roman villa, which was brought to light during
the intense works of building. In order to realize an enchanting garden, Munthe
bought the whole mountain and built many reserviors to collect the pluvial water
which had to be employed for irrigation. He made the project of the villa and
followed personally
the works. An ideal dwelling was more and more taking shape in his mind: "my
house must be open to the sun, to the wind, to the sealight, like a Greek temple,
and light, light everywhere".
Unfortunately
he couldn't appreciate his creature: since the first 90ies he began to loose his
sight and had to leave S. Michele, where the light was too strong , to move to
more shadowy Torre Materita.
Munthe was as well a cultor of arts, a philantropist, a great lover of
animals. In order to protect the flocks of migratory birds that periodically
crossed the sky over the island, he resolved to buy the land of Monte Barbarossa,
so that he could offer to the birds a protected area. The same area is now a
part of a beautiful natural reserve.
Munthe
wrote also many books, the most important of which was undoubtely "The
History of S. Michele". This book, in which Munthe describes, often with
much fantasy, the history of his life, was published for the first time in
English in 1929, when Munthe was over 70, on Henry James' suggestion. Since then
the book, which has never stopped to exercise its magical fascination, has been
translated in many languages and is now among the most read books after the
Bible.
In
June 1943, with the definitive decline of his health, Munthe left Anacapri to
spend the rest of his life in Stockolm, at king Gustavo's palace. Before his
death, he signed a testament leaving Villa S. Michele and all his properties to
the Swedish State. He died in 1949, February 11th, at the age of 92.
Today
Villa S. Michele is managed by the "Foundation S. Michele" and it has
been partly turned into a museum, the revenue of which are employed to finance
the works of maintenance and the numerous cultural initiatives promoted by the
Foundation.
© 2000
Digital
Sparks Srl •
Powered by Entryweb
|
Axel Munthe