Why is Verona the city of Love?

10 February 2023 - News

Who wrote Romeo & Juliet tragedy?

One of its most appreciated spot in Verona is Juliet’s House: even though you might think you know everything about the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, and their tragedy set in our city, actually just a few are aware of the true story behind the house and its supposed balcony! 🤔

Their love story was ALSO written by William Shakespeare and then played in his theatre in 1596, BUT he wasn’t the one who invented it.

The tradition started in 1530 with the tragedy written by Luigi Da Porto, which Shakespeare took and revisited. Indeed his major credit is to have made the story successful and famous all around the world: that’s why when in the early 1900s the idea of making a film about this young love started to rise, Antonio Avena (director of the Civic Museum during that period) decided to take advantage of its popularity to improve Verona’s tourism: he decided to restore Cappello’s house (a medieval building used as a quite shabby hotel until 1800 and then bought by the city of Verona in the 1905) in the homonymous street, to make people believe that was the original house of our Capulet protagonist, Juliet, given the resemblance of the two surnames. Still, the house lacked of a proper balcony which could resemble the one of the famous scene, so in 1935 Avena succeeded in taking an old gothic balcony (saved from a medieval house which had been destroyed) and placing it there. And voilà, the famous balcony is located and finally can witness all the lovers who come across: speaking of which, our agency gives the opportunity to have the most romantic moment offering to organize your marriage proposal on Juliet’s fairy-tale balcony, to have an unforgettable coronation of your love in an exclusive place.