Capri’s allure can be traced back to the life and times of Tiberius, the second Roman emperor, who lived there more than 2,000 years ago.

We’ll Always Have Capri

With the buzzy reopening of two hotels, the island is once again having its moment in the sun

By Alexander Lobrano

Twenty-five years ago, on a muggy summer morning in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, I heard the best explanation for Capri’s immortal allure. Just after the church bells rang at 11 a.m., Patricia Highsmith knocked the cap off a heavy brown bottle of beer on the edge of a stone table and took a swig. (This gesture signaled the end of the interview she’d granted me for W magazine.)

Then she cocked her head, looked at me, and declared, “I hope you’re not rushing back to Paris this weekend. It’s a miserable place during the summer.” I explained that I was meeting a friend in Capri. She snickered.