Once Upon A Time At The Villa San Michele di Axel Munthe…
On Friday, June 9, Annarita, our friend, talented
guide to Capri, and local Anacaprese, invited us to a special event at the
Villa San Michele. Axel Munthe constructed this villa on the former site
where Tiberio once had his villa. And each spring for the festival of
Saint Anthony, Munthe opened up his garden and villa to all the Anacaprese.
There would be wine, desserts and dancing. Annarita and the small
art partons at CapriInArt, a cultural association, hosted an
elegant party that recreated what Munthe has done many years ago. Pacchianelle, traditional women dressed
in Neapolitan custom, fried up Panzarelle & Ravioli Caprese
fritte, while chocolate wheels of Torta Caprese and wine from Tiberio
Cantina were passed to all.
Pages from Munthe's Villa San Michele were read
aloud and the group moved through the gardens and an old fashioned black and
white picture show was displayed on the inside cappella of the church.
Today, June 13 marks the feast day of St.
Anthony, the patron saint of Anacapri. It is a much anticipated festival
in the small town of AnaCapri. An ancient statue of St. Anthony is
carried on the shoulders of devotee through the narrow streets of the town.
Shadowing behind is a procession of children dressed in long tunics reminiscent
of Franciscan monks. Bread is blessed, called, pane di Sant’ Antonio and
given to all, followed by handfuls of genistra, broom flowers, bougainville
and hydrangeas thrown in the air. Locals have decorated their homes and
balconies with flowers and trays called guantiere. Once the statue
reaches the town’s center it is placed on an altar where he will remain for two
weeks.
Visitors and locals can partake in an entire week
of festivities scheduled in honor of the saint. The Villa San Michele de Axel
Munthe is open free of charge and in the evening, musical events are held on
the Piazza Victoria, and fireworks shoot of in the wee hours.
E per la gran devozione - si deve
fare un buon boccone!
~ And for the great devotion - you must make a tasty morsel
- poet,
Francesco Alberio
Try
making your own buon boccone using our very own Chef Maria’s recipe for Savory Brioche
Brioche Salata~
Savory Brioche
|
For the Dough:
3 ¼ cup Flour ‘00’
4 Fresh Eggs
7 tbsp Butter
5 ¼ tbsp Brewer’s Yeast
½ cup Milk
A pinch of Salt
|
For the Filling:
½ cup Baked Smoked Ham,
diced
½ cup Salami, diced
½ cup Fontina cheese,
diced
|
Place the flour on the
pastry board, preferably wooden, and create a hole in the center. Break the
eggs and butter in to the hole along with the brewers yeast, the milk and the
salt. Mix together until you have a uniform dough.
When the mix is well combined
put the baked smoked ham, salami and the fontina cheese inside and mix all with
your hands.
Put the mixture into a
baking pan, lined with butter and flour, and place in the oven for 45 minutes
at 180°C (350°F).
7 oz. Dark Chocolate, chopped finely 
On Friday, June 9, Annarita, our friend, talented
guide to Capri, and local Anacaprese, invited us to a special event at the
Villa San Michele. Axel Munthe constructed this villa on the former site
where Tiberio once had his villa. And each spring for the festival of
Saint Anthony, Munthe opened up his garden and villa to all the Anacaprese.
There would be wine, desserts and dancing. Annarita and the small
art partons at CapriInArt, a cultural association, hosted an
elegant party that recreated what Munthe has done many years ago. Pacchianelle, traditional women dressed
in Neapolitan custom, fried up Panzarelle & Ravioli Caprese
fritte, while chocolate wheels of Torta Caprese and wine from Tiberio
Cantina were passed to all.