Romeo and Juliet – the lovers die but their romance lives on!

Romeo and Juliet – an immortal love story:

Juliet’s courtyard this morning is crowded with noisy high school kids, seemingly more interested in their mobile phones and fooling around with their school mates than what their literature studies brought them out here for. Other groups in the courtyard include travellers like ourselves – since the early 1800s, Juliet’s House has been a place of pilgrimage for travellers and lovers who travel to Verona to scrawl love messages on its walls. Luminaries like Charles Dickens have also visited and he has recorded his impressions of the picturesque residence in written word.

Through the immortal love story of Romeo and Juliet, still the staple of high school English classes today and translated into music, the visual arts, dance, cinema and opera, Shakespeare has given Verona perennial fame.

House of Juliet Museum

The House of Juliet Museum is located in a residence of Medieval origin which, along with a cluster of surrounding buildings, has been the official property of the Dal Cappello family since the 1200s. From this derives the name Capuleti, the noble house of Juliet.  Even today, a stone coat of arms depicting a hat (cappello) and carved in relief adorns the house – one of the keystones crowns the vaulted entrance  and others on various fireplaces throughout the home.

Under the sponsorship of the Municipality of Verona, the house has undergone three phases of restoration (in the late 1930s, early 1970s and late 1990s). The facade that overlooks the courtyard bears the famous Juliet Balcony (believed to be part of an antique sarcophagus) where the young lovers secretly met. The facade also boats a beautiful Gothic portal, arched windows and architectural ornamentation from the late 1400s. A beautiful bronze statue of Juliet, created by the Veronese sculptor Nereo Constantini in 1972, stands elegantly in the courtyard (a communal space fronted by various businesses).  A replica of the statue can be found in Monaco and a third is on exhibit in Chicago.  It is believed that by touching the right breast of the statue, good luck will be bestowed upon you.  The group of giggly schoolboys no doubt had other thoughts on their minds.

The most recent restoration initiative (2004) was to preserve the facade of Juliet’s House in its original medieval condition (exposed brick), free of the mass of love notes and graffiti by visitors.  These have however found their way to the other walls of the compound.

Inside the Museum

A visit to the Museum offers a fascinating stroll through nine elegant rooms furnished with period furniture and pictorial artwork. Amongst the art that grace the walls there are various Veronese frescoes dating from the 13th – 17th centuries, including works inspired by the great Paolo Veronese, and 19th century paintings relating to the legend of Romeo and Juliet.

The top floor windows provides a spectacular view of Castel San Pietro and the ancient Scaligera wall that surrounds the city of Verona. There is also, on permanent exhibition, a priceless collection of Veronese Medieval and pre-Renaissance ceramics.

Walking through Juliet’s House, visitors are accompanied by evocative excerpts from William Shakepeare’s tragic play and historic images from George Cukor’s 1936 film. One room in the house hosts the original bed, production designs and costumes from Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 cinema classic Romeo & Giuletta. In Juliet’s Study, a multimedia installation created by Pucci de’ Rossi, archives the most significant information and imagery pertaining to the myth of the star-crossed lovers as it has been expressed in music, literature, the visual arts, dance, cinema and opera. In addition, the installation celebrates the various places dedicated to the memory of Romeo and Juliet (Juliet’s House, Romeo’s House and Juliet’s Tomb). From here it is also possible for visitors to send a letter to Juliet.

Romeo’s House

Romeo’s House is situated in “Via Arche Scaligere”. It is an authentic medieval house which belonged to the 13th century Counts of Cagnolo Nogarola. The latter were part of the Della Scala entourage. The archway is Gothic and is enclosed by crenellated walls. The interior cannot be visited but the nearby restaurant contains some of its rooms. The Montagu family is said to have occupied these rooms. The façade bears an inscription with the famous words: “Oh Romeo, Romeo!  Wherefore art thou Romeo?…” “Tut! I have lost myself; I am not here: This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.” (Act 1, scene 1)

You can be a modern “Romeo and Juliet”

Verona’s town council is now offering couples the chance to follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare’s “star-crossed lovers” and experience for themselves “what light from yonder window breaks.”

But it does not come cheaply -  a normal civil wedding licence in Italy costs about 45 euros ($64).  For non-European citizens the Verona licence costs nearly 900 Euros whereas EU non-Verona couples will need to pay approximately 700 Euros.

Considering the world-famous location, that’s not too bad a price to pay, if only you can ensure a happy ending.

See Travel Signposts Verona Romeo and Juliet Photos Here

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