Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo

San Michele Arcangelo in Anacapri is celebrated for a painted maiolica floor depicting the Earthly Paradise. The ceramic landscape fills the Baroque interior with animals, plants and the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

Why it matters

The pavement makes a familiar architectural surface the principal work of art. Its intricate imagery connects Neapolitan ceramic craftsmanship with religious storytelling, giving the church a distinctive place in Anacapri's artistic heritage.

What to notice

Domestic and exotic animals populate the garden around the biblical figures, with a unicorn extending the scene into the realm of imagined creatures. Trees and other plants link these episodes into a continuous decorative landscape. The building's centralised plan and dome frame the expansive ceramic composition.

Context and history

The church was built between 1698 and 1719 through a foundation associated with Serafina di Dio and the adjoining Teresian convent. The design is attributed to Domenico Antonio Vaccaro. The eighteenth-century pavement is associated with the workshop of Leonardo Chiaiese, adding an important later decorative campaign to the original building.