Visiting the Fair Verona of Romeo and Juliet

The star-crossed lovers Juliet and Romeo may not have really existed as Shakespeare portrayed, but you would never know it when you visit Verona in northern Italy. My partner and I only went there because it was close to somewhere else we traveling to in Italy. That's the big complaint of the people who live in Verona; tourists are much more interested in Rome, Venice and Milan. But I'm so glad I visited it because the place was a total surprise.

The whole city is devoted to Romeo and Juliet. There are Romeo and Juliet dolls, trinkets, jewelry. You can leave wearing a Juliet dress or carrying a Romeo sword. And you can stuff all your R & J things in a bag made in honor of the couple.

But that's the usual thing you would expect to find. The surprise was when we actually reached the small courtyard which someone ages ago had designated as just the place Romeo and Juliet would have conducted their brief courtship had they really lived.

You walk through a shaded archway into a courtyard and the sun gleams off the perfect stone balcony. Next to it is the vine-covered orchard wall-which really does look "high and hard to climb."

Below the balcony is a bronze statue of the 13-year-old Juliet, looking innocent but defiant. An inscription praises her courage in the fight for eternal love.

But here's the amazing part: All over the entire archway, garden wall and wall on which the balcony rests are thousands and thousands of graffiti left by lovers. They're written in pen, lipstick, marker, nail polish-even on pieces of gum stuck on the wall--you name it. Couples have come from all over the world to inscribe their names in hearts and other images to wish themselves long-lasting love. Names are etched over names which are, in turn, scribbled over names from earlier times.

I never, never would have believed that the Verona authorities would allow this to happen. I don't have any history about the graffiti, but I guess it's been happening over and over for a few hundred years.

And, yes, I wrote our names there, too. I was among about a hundred people there in that small courtyard doing it. (By the way, right next to Juliet's house is a designer jean shop-or it was there when we went several years ago.)

I've heard now that for the right money, you can have your wedding performed inside the house or on the balcony. That sort of takes it too far for me-too commercialized.

It turns out the place of Romeo and Juliet's innocent passion was actually a bordello for many years before the city of Verona bought it and turned it into an amazing tourist attraction.

And you know what? I don't remember having to pay any entrance fee to go see it.

There's a lot more to Verona that the city would like tourists to know about and visit. That includes the Arena di Verona-built in 30 AD-the third largest arena in Italy. It's still used today, especially during the summer theatre and opera season.

But it's that little magic courtyard that did it for me. Find out when the Royal Shakespeare Company performs there; you may be lucky enough to see Romeo and Juliet presented right in the courtyard. And then afterward, you can write your own love note on the orchard wall.

Source:
Destination 360--Verona

Ilene Springer lives in Malta (where there are many Juliet-type balconies) and is author of An-American-in-Malta.com.