Valentine’s in Verona: on the steps of Romeo and Juliet
Come and understand why Shakespeare got inspired by this Italian town đ„°
Viviane Vaz for Id International
Known as the âsecret sisterâ of Venice, Verona is also the city of love by excellence. Here the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare created his first play, the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Nowadays the city is most known for his version of the tragic love story of Romeo Montecchi and Giulietta Cappelletti, the two lovers whose deaths eventually united their rival families. Shakespeare borrowed the plot from an original Italian tale told by different writers, such as Luigi de Porto (â1524), Matteo Bandeldlo (1554) and even mentioned in 1320 by Dante Alighieri in his Comedy (VI canto of Purgatorio). Shakespeare play comes to light between 1591 and 1595, making the story survive till our days and reach different parts of the globe.
Today, the so-called house of Giulietta/Juliet in Verona is based where once the Cappello family lived. The Italian family used the similarity of the name Cappelletti, which they consider is in fact a derivation from their surname, to create a small museum dedicated to Juliet and her timeless love story.
The house dates back to the 13th century, where the visitor can appreciate the medieval architecture. Inside the house, the museum hosts a Renaissance-era costumes and the furniture used by Franco Zeffirelliâs 1968 in his film adaptation of the story. The courtyard has a bronze statue of Juliet, where cheeky tourists rub or touch her right breast expecting to get luckier in love!? đł
Others try their luck by sticking a love note or colourful locker on the door…
Once you get to Verona, enjoy your time wandering around the streets and alleys of this cute town. If you are in the mood for romance, take your beloved one for a walk along the sinuous Adige river… or bike with us to the enchanting hills (we can propose you some amazing biking tours in Verona and its surroundings).
 
There we will pour you some delicious Veneto region wine and tell you the best stories based in Verona, fictional and real ones. Did you know this town lived and resisted the ups and downs of visigoths, romans, middle age nobbles, Charles V, Napoleon, and survived the first and second world wars? Romeo and Juliet, of course, will continue being our favourite for celebrating this Valentine’s season!
Find more about this lovely thematic travel: