In fair Verona, where we lay our scene….Known around the world as the city of love, the Verona we know today is probably not quite how William Shakespeare envisioned it when writing one of the most famous romantic tragedies of all time: Romeo and Juliet.
A metropolitan city intermixed with centuries old sites, it is no surprise that people flock to it by the thousands each year. But when it comes down to it, there is no doubt that Verona owes most of its fame to a play. The truth is that not as many people would care to visit Verona if it were not the site of the star-crossed lovers. Thousands of people visit Casa Di Giulietta each year to get a glimpse of what Juliet’s life may have been like, but the reality is that the tourist trap of a house could not be farther from what Shakespeare could have imagined.
Shakespeare’s influence in Verona
To fully understand why the house is one of the most visited in the world, one must comprehend that Romeo and Juliet was not just any play, and it was not written by just any man.
Shakespeare was an English play-write and poet whose writing has transcended centuries of societal changes and industrialization. The art of theater and its influence on a city even after 400 years is only made possible because Shakespeare was able to understand the timeless human interest in love, comedy, and tragedy. Sure, not everyone can relate to Romeo and Juliet in its entirety, but most can certainly relate to the feeling of wanting something and not being able to have it. The intrigue of the tragedy and the nostalgia that comes with it is why it hasn't been forgotten.
Shakespeare’s embodiment of that natural, humanistic feeling has taken upon a capitalistic nature in the 21st century that probably has the writer rolling in his grave. Verona’s richest tourism sites are all thanks to the play.
"Verona's tourism market booms each year because of Romeo and Juliet. The city owes so much to that play being set in Verona," says Verona information desk worker Lorenzo. "We owe are history to that Shakesperean play."
The Star-crossed lovers: a brief history
Romeo and Juliet, written in the 1590s, is a play surrounding two young lovers who come from feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets. Romeo and Juliet try their hand at love, but meet a dark and dramatic fate that lives up to the true nature of a romantic tragedy. Shakespeare wrote the play early on in his career, and it quickly became one of his most famous works.
Historians claim the characters were fictional, but Shakespeare did borrow a bit from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Also, Dante once did mention two families, the Montecchi and the Cappelletti, living in suffering. Many believe these references were of true feuding families, but there is no real way of knowing.
One can feel the immense influence the play has on the city by simply strolling around Verona. It is normal to come across plaques quoting Romeo and Juliet in front of museums or even just on the sidewalk. Although the characters were fictional, Verona has made it feel as though one is walking down the same streets Romeo and Juliet once walked because of its constant allusions to the play. Particularly, thousands of people pay homage each year to Juliet’s “house” in Verona, which only proves how the influence this play has had on generations of fans will never end.
Casa di Giulietta
One of Verona’s most visited sites is Case di Giulietta, or Juliet’s House. The house was sold to the city of Verona in 1905, and was turned into a profitable museum.
The spectacle, named Stallo del Cappello, is a 13th century building previously privately owned by the Cappello family. Verona bought and turned it into Juliet’s house because of the similarity between the Cappello and Capulet names. The house is a magnificent example of gothic architecture, but do not let that fool you. It holds no real ties to the play.
In the 1930s, a balcony was added to fit the Shakespearean mold. Tourists can now walk up to “Juliet’s Balcony” and decide to have a moment with their loved one or have someone take a picture from below.
Walking in to the courtyard of Juliet’s House, you can expect a crowd of people so massive that walking to the actual entrance of the house is a challenge. People surround a copper statue of Juliet in the house’s courtyard, and touch her breast for good luck. The statue is famous for having “eternal love” abilities, and rubbing the breast is said to bring true love to one’s life. Around the statue, the crowds are so massive that it is hard to move, and the spot is often regarded as one of the most notorious “pick pocket” areas in Verona.
If you can make it past the massive crowds, you’ll find a ticket office in the first room of the house. Of course, a profit must be made from a fictional house of a fictional character. A regular price ticket to the house is 6 euros.
Small frames with pictures of Romeo and Juliet from the many different movie adaptations are set up as you walk through the house, with a corresponding line from the play that explains the scene.
Romeo and Juliet’s costumes are also displayed in the house. The Elizabethan era mixed with Italian Renaissance costumes are from Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. They are on display right next to Juliet’s bed, so it really does show what normal life, in terms of fashion and normal living, was like in the time of the two lovers.
The furnishings in general and the quiet atmosphere inside the house give people a sense of nostalgia when visiting the house.
“I am aware that this was not really Juliet’s house, but I feel like I can relate to her by just walking in here. She is a fictional character, but this house brought her to life,” says Ana Hain, a fan of Juliet visiting from Texas.
“We all have a bit of this play inside of us. This place shows how theater truly never dies.”
Whether you are a fan of Shakespeare or a tourist wondering what to do in Verona, one thing holds true: the house, although extremely crowded with tourists, paints a picture that no matter how many centuries pass, Romeo and Juliet's love can stand the test of time.
