Almost a century ago, The Story of San Michele by Swedish doctor Axel Munthe was a runaway bestseller. Translated into 50 languages, it has sold millions of copies all over the world and continues to be republished regularly up to the present day.

The San Michele of the title was the house that Munthe built for himself in the village of Anacapri on the island of Capri. It stands on a rocky outcrop 325 metres above the sea, with sweeping views over the Bay of Naples and the Sorrentine peninsula. It is one of Capri's main tourist attractions, on a par with the Blue Grotto.