Home of Romeo and Juliet.

We couldn’t drive near Vérona without stopping for at least a night. The high season already started but we found one of the last available Airbnb really well located, next to the center on the eastern side of the Adige river.

No much advice really. The best way to experience Verona in our opinion, by strolling around it. A mixed of the Roman Verona and renaissance architecture.

Built almost 2000 years ago the Verona Arena are still used today. They could host more than 30 000 spectators and now Philharmonic and more “modern” concert are held regularly (Arena di Verona festival).

www.arena.it

After the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheatre in Capua, the Arena in Verona is the third largest Roman amphitheatre, even so the outside curtain wall was destroyed by several earthquake.

It is there Romeo declare his love to Juliet. Visit opens at 8:30 AM and if you want to see the balcony where she “stood” you better come early enough before a large crowd arrive.

The tales became famous thanks to William Shakespeare. His own inspiration came from Dante (Purgatorio – Divine Comedy), Brooke and Painter.

The bronze statue of Juliet in the courtyard seems to be enough to transform the story to a real one. The belief is that you might leave a message with your name and the one of your love one (often on aplaster but you face a fine of up to 500€) and Juliet will cast a lucky spell, your love will therefore last for eternity.

For those of you who don’t know i will give you a quick recap :

• Romeo love Rosaline but see Juliet and change his mind.
• They secretly get married.
• Romeo was meant to fight in a duel with Tybalt but refuse it (since they are now the same family). His friend Mercutio decide to fight instead. Spoiler alert – and die.
• Romeo felt bad and then killed Tybalt (the Capulet’s cousin). The Montague / Capulet war is nothing close to stop.
• Romeo has to leave the city and cannot see Juliet anymore (but managed to spend the last night wih her).
• Juliet is now meant to marry Paris, and Brother Laurent advised her to take a poison that will fake death for 2 days.
• Juliet’s message never reach Romeo and he only learned about her “death”. He decide to reach her grave and kill himself using poison.
• Juliet woke up, found Romeo lifeless, kissed him, and stabbed herself to death.
• Rideau

For info : Juliet was 13 and Romeo 16.

The house was own by the Capello family, enough to link it to Juliet Capulet. But i am sorry to announce you that the balcony dates back from the 17th century (yes tourism has been around for centuries). Balcony were not even used in Shakespeare’s England.

You can still write to Juliet if you have any advice needed :

www.julietclub.com