The “Colonia straniera” of antiquities’ collectors in Capri between the 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, drawn by the attraction of its distinctive combination of natural splendor and historical charm, the island of Capri became a favored place of residence for what archival records refer to as the “colonia straniera”. Among the members of this international community, several individuals shared a passion for collecting: Haan Antal (from Hungary), Jean Benner (from France), Charles Caryl Coleman and John Clay MacKowen (from the United States of America), Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe (from Sweden). Their insular dwellings housed heterogeneous collections, in which antiquities – both unearthed locally and imported – occupied a prominent place.   
A comparative analysis of the collecting practices that these amateurs implemented proves particularly interesting, as it allows for the identification of intriguing points of convergence, despite the existence of unique features; moreover, broadening the perspective beyond Capri’s borders, a vivid affinity emerges with habits revealed by other foreign collectors who simultaneously lived elsewhere in Italy, especially in the neighbouring Sorrentine Peninsula. Finally, an overview of the different destinies that these collections underwent after the deaths of their creators invites reflections on the current legacy of this historical, cultural, and social experience for the island of Capri.