Thursday April 16 2026 - Bronze Sculpture Gifted by the Munthe Family Association

A statue of Axel Munthe (1857–1949), physician, author, and creator of Villa San Michele, stands on Kråkrumsbacken in his hometown of Oskarshamn. Yesterday, a table-sized bronze copy of the sculpture arrived at Villa San Michele on Capri as a gift from the Munthe family association.

The association’s chairman, Sten Munthe, presented the sculpture to Villa San Michele’s director Kristina Kappelin in the small piazza in front of the museum. Visitors from near and far gathered to learn more about the work and were especially intrigued to discover that the bearer of the gift was a direct descendant of the world-famous Swede.

Sculptor Annette Rydström has portrayed Axel Munthe as a young man, dressed in relaxed, Italian-inspired clothing. He wears a Vega cap to shield his eyes from the sun and to evoke Munthe’s love of the sea and sailing. Beside him sits his beloved dog Puck, whose name Munthe used as a pseudonym when publishing his first books.

“This is a long-awaited gift that will have an honoured place in the museum. Annette Rydström has captured the young, adventurous Munthe, his gaze fixed on the distance and setting out toward new horizons. It is a pleasure for Villa San Michele’s visitors to see him in this light: as the explorer and bridge-builder he was between northern and southern Europe,” says Kristina Kappelin.

Encouraging cultural exchange between Sweden and Italy is one of Villa San Michele’s main missions, in accordance with Munthe’s will. The first major cultural event of the year will take place from 4–6 June with the film festival Swedish Film Goes Capri.