Top of the World
Villa Lysis is a special and mysterious place, inextricably linked to the figure of Jacques d'Adelswärd Fersen, the Parisian nobleman who took refuge in voluntary exile on the island of Capri to get away from the scandals that had engulfed him in his homeland. Built in 1904 by Count Fersen himself, Villa Lysis reflects his eclectic personality: elegant, eccentric, luxurious, reserved and at the same time opulent. Here the Count was finally able to enjoy until the end of his days his love story with the young Roman Nino Cesarini in total intimacy. But as well as being Fersen's hermitage, Villa Lysis also became a point of reference for artists, intellectuals, poets and writers arriving on Capri who, from the beginning of the twentieth century, began to frequent the island and praise its beauty. Visiting Villa Lysis literally leaves you speechless: the beauty strikes you as soon as you cross the threshold. You only have to admire the intimate corners, the garden and the marvelous halls, with their precious furnishings and precious marbles that echo the most diverse stylistic contaminations, from the Louis XVI style to neoclassical theatricality, from Greek grandeur to the sinuous forms of art nouveau, from the gilding of the Viennese Secession to oriental style. But beauty also envelops you just outside Villa Lysis, thanks to the spectacular panorama that opens up from this splendid villa built on a spur overlooking the sea and the bay of Marina Grande. Villa Lysis is accessed by means of an imposing staircase that culminates in the peristyle with Ionic columns framed by the Latin inscription "Amori et Dolori Sacrum" desired by Fersen himself as a phrase-symbol of his tormented existence.
