The most famous balcony in the world
In Via Cappello, near Piazza delle Erbe, stands a medieval house with a brick courtyard that has become one of the most visited places in Verona: the Casa di Giulietta, Juliet's House. In the thirteenth century it belonged to the Dal Cappello family, whose name recalls the Capulets, the family of Shakespeare's heroine, and in the twentieth century the city bought and restored it, adding a stone balcony taken from an old sarcophagus, to evoke the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet.
The story of the two lovers from rival families, the Montagues and Capulets, had been told by Italian writers such as Luigi da Porto and Matteo Bandello before Shakespeare made it immortal in 1597; there is no proof that they really existed. But the myth is stronger than history: every year millions of visitors crowd the courtyard to photograph the balcony and to touch the right breast of the bronze statue of Juliet, which is said to bring luck in love. Inside, the house displays period furniture and costumes from Franco Zeffirelli's film. Letters addressed to Juliet from all over the world are answered by volunteers of the Juliet Club.
Tip: to avoid the crowds, visit early in the morning; Juliet's tomb, in the cloister of San Francesco al Corso, is much quieter.
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