Freeway - Swedes in Italy

Swedes in Italy during 1000 years.

During the centuries Italy has been of great interest for Swedish people because of culture, climate and sport.

In history some important people in Sweden have moved to or visited Italy for different reasons.

One early Swedish person was the holy Birgitta. She visited Rome under the 14th century. More about her you can read in the article in this issue.

Another important friend of Italy was Queen Kristina. She was born in 1626 in Stockholm. Her father’s name was Gustav II Adolf. He is most well known for making Sweden to a great power and that he and the Swedish people fought during the Thirty Years` War on the Protestants’ side. But Kristina she believed in Catholicism and in Sweden it was not allowed to have any other religion than Protestantism.

So she abdicated in 1654 after 10 years as a queen and moved to Rome. On the way to Rome she stayed in Brussels where she in secret made the Catholic confession of her faith on the Christmas night 1654. The official conversion to the catholic faith was hold in Hofkirche in Innsbruck in November 1655. She came to Rome on the 23 December. There she changed her name to Maria Alexandra. She took the name Alexandra to honour the Pope Alexander VII.
Palazzo Riario (now palazzo Corsini) became her home in Rome. She lived there to her death in 1689 except when she was travelling. She is buried in the St. Peter’s Church.

A king of Sweden who liked culture very much was Gustav III and he visited Italy one time in 1783. He wanted to see the Italian ancient art. He visited Pisa, Florens, Pompeji and Rome. During his visit in Rome they had a Lutheran worship that the people in Rome had never experienced before. He bought some art too.

The Swedish Queen Victoria (1862-1930), married to king Gustav V, lived her last years in Rome because of her health was not very good and it was too cold to live in Sweden. Her doctor was Axel Munthe. He lived on Capri in the house San Michele.

Victoria's oldest son Gustav VI Adolf (1882-1973) was an archaeologist on his spare time and took part in some excavation in different countries for example Italy. He was fascinated by the mysterious Etruscan culture.

Even at least one Swedish film star has been very famous in Italy. That is Anita Ekberg. She was born in 1931. She became Miss Sweden in 1951 and she came to Hollywood in 1953. But it was in Italy that she became most famous. She is most famous for her character in the movie La Doce vita by Fellini. There is a famous scene where she takes a bath in the Fontana di Trevi in Rome. Nowadays she lives in Italy.

Between 1949 and 53 three Swedish football players played in AC Milan and this legendary trio was called Gre-No-Li. Their names were Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.

Because of these people there has been a lot of connection between Sweden and Italy.

But it is not only famous Swedish people that have loved Italy. A lot of ordinary Swedes travel to Italy because of its lovely culture, climate and sport.

Which place in Italy do you recommend me to go to?