Casa di Giulietta

Casa di Giulietta is a late medieval mansion in Verona, Italy, identified with the house inhabited by the protagonist of William Shakespeare’s tragedy. Despite the fact that the events described in the play “Romeo and Juliet” are the author’s fiction and have no direct relation to this massive structure, the building has already acquired a slight aura of mystery and the status of the most romantic corner of Verona.

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History of the building: from Del Cappello’s house to Juliet’s house

The mansion referred to today as “Juliet’s House” was built in the 13th century and belonged to the ancient Italian family Del Cappello. It is believed that Shakespeare interpreted the surname of this very family (Del Cappello – Capuletti) for his legendary work.

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In 1667, the descendants of Del Cappello urgently needed money, and the family estate was sold. Up to the beginning of the XX century the house regularly changed owners, gradually decaying and falling into disrepair. Only in 1907 the building was bought by the city municipality to create a museum dedicated to the immortal play.

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For almost thirty years, the Verona authorities “swayed” and tried on which side to approach the restoration of such an ancient architectural object. It is possible that the deliberations could have been prolonged for a longer period of time, if not for the movie “Romeo and Juliet” by George Cukor, released in 1936. Riding the wave of interest in the romantic adaptation, the Veronese set about fixing up the house.

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As a result of the initial restoration of the 30s, the mansion acquired the so-called “Juliet balcony”, carved, presumably, from an ancient tombstone. The facade of the building was decorated with carved elements, and the courtyard was completely reconstructed in accordance with the scenery from the movie D. Cukor. The second period of “revival of the legend” falls on the 70s of the last century. At this time, a bronze statue of Romeo’s lover, later to become part of the romantic cult, appeared in the courtyard.

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In 1997 a museum exhibition was opened in Juliet’s house, and in 2002 some of the props used during the filming of Romeo and Juliet by F. Zeffirelli were moved here.

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Juliet’s House today: what to see and what rituals to observe for a tourist

Juliet’s House is one of the few Verona attractions that can be visited for money and with absolutely empty pockets. If you are not eager to part with your savings, just go to the patio to appreciate the exterior of the legendary house. Standing under the balcony from which the heroine of Shakespeare’s tragedy gazed languidly at her suitor is absolutely free.

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Walking around the territory, try to approach the statue of Juliet. This one and a half meter sculpture is associated with a funny ritual: it is believed that the one who touches the girl’s breasts, awaits a happy love. Since 1972, there have been so many people wanting to hold the charms of the bronze Italian woman that the statue has cracked over time. To prevent further destruction of the monument, the original Juliet was hastily moved to the museum, replacing it with a more modern copy.

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By the way, such a clean and cozy courtyard did not always look so clean and cozy. Just a few years ago, its inner walls were an unattractive sight. The reason for this is a long tradition, according to which visitors to the house left notes on the masonry for Juliet. Requests, wishes, love poems were written on small pieces of paper, candy wrappers and newspaper scraps. In addition, all this colorful variety was attached to the wall with ordinary gum. In 2012, the city council officially banned the placement of notes on the wall, setting a fine of 500 euros for violators. Now, to “get through” to Shakespeare’s heroine, one has to write a regular letter to the official Juliet Club, or compose an electronic message on the organization’s website julietclub.com.

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To get inside Juliet’s house, you will have to pay the modest sum of 6 euros. The entrance ticket entitles you to a tour of the premises and also provides the opportunity for a romantic photo shoot on the balcony. By the way, here you can also find mailboxes where tourists are allowed to leave letters for Juliet.

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The interior of the house is decorated in Renaissance style. The walls are decorated with ancient frescoes, transferred here from other buildings in Verona, and of course, portraits of the most famous couple in love in the world. On the second floor of Juliet’s house there is an exit to the balcony.

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The next floor is occupied by a luxurious room with a fireplace, where you can see the family crest of the Del Cappello family, which is an ordinary… hat. It is believed that it was in this room that the literary characters met and fell in love with each other. On the penultimate floor the props from the movie “Romeo and Juliet” by F. Zeffirelli are carefully kept: a luxurious wooden bed and costumes of young lovers. The final part of the tour is a climb to the top floor of the house, where computer monitors are installed. The equipment is skillfully built into special “covers”, perfectly harmonizing with the interiors of the room. If you haven’t yet had time to leave your own message for Juliette, you can remedy that omission right here.

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Visitors

Juliette’s House is open to the public daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays).

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The courtyard and balcony of Verona’s most popular attraction is always crowded and noisy, so be prepared to pay for the opportunity to take a good picture by standing in line for a long time.

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Fans of lavish events better plan a tour of the legendary house on September 16. It is on this day that it celebrates Juliet’s Birthday, part of the city’s Medieval Festival.

A gift shop is open on the grounds of the house, where you can buy various fun little things with love symbolism.

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Juliette’s House hosts wedding ceremonies for the newlyweds-to-be. The lovers dress up in medieval costumes and receive a marriage certificate certified by the “representatives” of the Montecchi and Capulet families. For foreign tourists such a celebration will cost on average from 1500 euros.

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How to get there

Juliet’s House is located at Via Cappello, 23, 37121 Verona. You can get here by city bus (routes 70, 71, 96, 97).

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