Red House
Walking down Via Giuseppe Orlandi after a few minutes, one encounters the unique profile of the Red House, a historic dwelling painted in Pompeian red and characterized by different architectural styles.
Until 1899 the Casa Rossa was the home of American Colonel John Clay H. MacKowen, who came to Italy immediately after the American Civil War. MacKowen followed the example of Axel Munthe and embellished his villa with the archaeological finds he recovered during his walks among the paths of Capri, transforming his Capri home into a true cultural center.
In the halls of the Red House it is possible to admire the permanent exhibition "The Painted Island: pictorial journey to Capri and Anacapri between the 19th and 20th centuries," an exhibition of canvases signed by important artists such as Barret, Carelli, De Montalant, Carabain, Lovatti, Hay, Casciaro, and Vianelli. The paintings depict ancient paths, places, views and moments of daily life in Capri between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Also housed here are the statues recovered from the depths of the Blue Grotto, which decorated the nymphaeum commissioned by Emperor Tiberius to celebrate his love for island otium.
