Capri - The Gardens of Augustus – The Charterhouse

From the Piazzetta of Capri, pass under the archway leading to Via Vittorio Emanuele, lined with the luxury boutiques of the Capri shopping scene, all displaying high fashion labels and designer clothing. This is where one is, perhaps, most likely to bump into a rock or film star indulging in a little shopping or simply out jogging. Once in front of the Grand Hotel Quisisana, take the narrow lane to the right. The land opens out on to an open area and the view, from on high, over the Charterhouse of St Giacomo.
From here, heading left, one arrives at the Charterhouse of St Giacomo, heading right to the Gardens of Augustus.
In the direction of the Gardens of Augustus, one finds the Laboratory of the Perfumes of Capri, with its great blown glass cruets visible from the road.
The Gardens of Augustus were commissioned in the nineteen thirties by the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp. Visitors to the gardens are greeted by a display of island flora planted on terraces boasting splendid panoramas. Here, one can relax and read on any of the benches placed in proximity of the view points, or simply while away the hours day dreaming. The Gardens of Augustus offer a fabulous view over the Charterhouse of St Giacomo, the Faraglioni rocks, Monte Tuoro, the bay of Marina Piccola and Monte Solaro.
Walking back along the same path, one heads for the Charterhouse of St Giacomo.
Visitors enter the Charterhouse of St Giacomo via a narrow, open air corridor. Of the monumental complex, in a phase of restoration, one can visit the two columned cloisters, the halls displaying canvases by the artist Diefenbach, and the gardens adorned with perfumed and balsamic plants and spices from which the monks extracted the essences with which to make their precious perfumes.

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