Many know the famous “Campanella di Capri” but not everyone knows that this precious lucky charm comes from an ancient legend.
On the island of Capri lived a little shepherd orphaned of his father and poor who owned only one little sheep. One evening, at dusk, the boy lost his little sheep. Taken by despair, however, he seemed to hear a distant ringing and, thinking it was the sound of his sheep's bell, he headed towards the tinkle.
He ran to the edge of a ravine and here a sudden light dazzled the boy: St Michael appeared shining on his white horse. “My child – said the Saint, taking off from his neck a little bell that hung on his chest – take it and always follow the sound, it will save you from every danger“. The little shepherd, who found his little sheep, brought the gift to his mother and from then on his life changed forever: every earthly desire was fulfilled.
On the site of the Saint's apparition a Villa was built: San Michele, the one erected by the Swedish doctor Axel Munthe and known worldwide. Since then the Capri little bell has been a symbol of luck and happiness and legend has it that the Capri Bell should be given to people considered truly special because, at every toll, every wish will come true.
As a good omen towards the end of the Second World War, the island of Capri donated a bronze bell to American President Roosevelt on the occasion of the victory, still preserved today in the museum dedicated to him in New York.
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The legend of the little bell lucky charm of St. Michael
Once there was a poor shepherd boy living in Capri. He only had a hut to share with his widow mother and a little sheep he used to lead to graze on the slopes of Mount Solaro. One evening, the boy stopped to pick flowers and when he turned
to call the sheep he did not see it. Anguish gripped his heart. What would become of him and his mother? At that moment he thought he heard a feeble distant sound of bells and thinking it was the sound of the bell that his sheep had around the neck, lunged in that direction till he reached the brink of a ravine. Here a sudden light stopped the poor boy. St Michael appeared wrapped in a blaze of gold, shining on his white horse. "My boy" said the saint taking off from the neck a little bell that hung from his chest "take it and always follow its sound, it will save you from danger". The shepherd boy, trembling with excitement and joy, brought the gift to his mother wrapped in a green handkerchief. Since that day his whole life was full of goodness and happiness and every earthly desire was fulfilled. On the site of the apparition was built a villa called San Michele. The miraculous little bell as a tiny lucky charm will be your talisman of luck and success