Juliet's House (Italian: Casa di Giulietta) in Verona - romance spanning centuries

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Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the modern status of the language; it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in Several districts in Croatia and Slovenia, where a large Italian-speaking population lives, Italian is also spoken by some of the residents on the island of Malta.

Italian dialects - will we understand each other?

In Italy itself, even today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to travel only a few tens of kilometers to encounter another of them.
Moreover, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian “outback” meet, they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that some dialects, in addition to the oral form, also have a written form, such as the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, accordingly, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication and, especially, in large cities, you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because... Today, dialects are spoken mainly by older people in rural areas, while young people use the correct literary language, which unites all Italians, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It may be mentioned here that until the end of the Second World War, modern Italian was only a written language, used by the ruling class, scientists and in administrative institutions, and it was television that played a big role in the spread of the common Italian language among all inhabitants.

How it all began, origins

The history of the formation of modern Italian, as we all know it, is closely connected with the history of Italy and, of course, no less fascinating.
Origins - in Ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, commonly known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language of the Roman Empire. Later, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other European languages arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you can understand what a Spaniard is saying, plus or minus a Portuguese, and you can even understand part of the speech of an Englishman or a Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, abdicated the throne after the capture of Rome by the German leader Odocar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some also call it the end of the “Roman language”, however, even today disputes still rage as to why exactly the Latin language lost its relevance, because of the capture of the Roman Empire by barbarians or was it a natural process and in what language? spoken towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one version, in ancient Rome by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread, and it is from this popular language of Rome that the Italian that we know as Italian of the 16th century comes from, according to the second version, in connection with the invasion of the barbarians Latin mixed with various barbarian languages and dialects, and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language originates.

Birthday - first mention

The year 960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. This date is associated with the first document where this “proto-vernacular language” is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land litigation of the Benedictine Abbey, witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony would be understandable to as many people as possible, until this moment in all official papers we can only see Latin.
And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the language vulgare, which translates as the people's language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighiere, F. Petrarch, G. Boccaccio and others.
to be continued...

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Juliet's House (Italy) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Shakespeare's play was to be physically realized in Verona. For this purpose, fans of the play found suitable houses. One of them is the house of the Capello family, which is represented by the English genius as Capulets.

For tourists there is only one interesting place - the courtyard with a balcony where Romeo confessed his love to Juliet. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here every year to touch the right breast of the bronze girl (they say for good luck) and leave a piece of paper with a message on the wall.

You can enter the courtyard for free, but a tour of the mansion will cost 6 EUR. By the way, the balcony is quite narrow. Two people can barely fit on it. Tours are held on Mondays from 13:30 to 19:30, from Tuesday to Sunday - from 8:30 to 19:30.

Romeo's house

Romeo's house is comparable in age to Juliet's. True, they treated him rather rudely. The owner did not want to make it a cultural site and chose to open a restaurant here called Osteria Dal Duca. So all the romance is at Juliet’s house, and you can go to Romeo’s for lunch.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Everyone associates the name of the Italian city primarily with the names of Romeo and Juliet. In Verona, a house has been preserved in which Juliet may have lived. The coat of arms depicted on the house is a marble hat, so we can assume that it really belonged to the Dal Cappello family (Capuletti, Cappelletti).

The building passed from owner to owner many times and changed its appearance. In 1907, the house at Via Cappello, 23 was purchased by local authorities specifically for the establishment of a museum here.

The restoration, or rather reconstruction, work carried out gave the house a look more consistent with the legend. The same famous balcony of Love is a reconstruction carried out in 1930. An authentic carved slab from the 14th century was used for the front wall of the balcony. Some researchers believe that this is part of an ancient sarcophagus.

In the rooms of the Capulet house, the interior of the 14th century was recreated; frescoes from other collapsing buildings, ancient ceramics and household utensils of that time were transferred here. In Juliet's house there is a museum of Shakespeare's heroes, the exhibition of which is constantly updated.

The courtyard of Juliet's house with the balcony of Love is an object of pilgrimage for tourists. It seems that everyone who comes to Verona goes here first. Honestly, I really wanted it too, until I got here.

Italians don't like this place. Having been there, I understood why.

The walls in the courtyard of Juliet's house are covered with chewing gum and written on by lovers who believe that this is for their benefit. It looks ugly and simply vulgar. City authorities regularly clear the walls of these manifestations of feelings.

Everything has locks with names attached to it. I wonder where they throw the keys? Place it in the water, and it’s a 10-15 minute walk to the river. So, here - only if it goes into the sewer...

On April 8, 1972, right under the balcony in the courtyard of the House of Juliet, a bronze statue of Juliet, created by the Verona sculptor Nereo Costantini, was installed. At that time, a young Italian woman, the wife of Count Morando, Louise Braguzzi, posed for the statue, who for a long time hid from everyone that she was the prototype for the image of Juliet. The statue was created in 1968 and was kept in the Palazzo Forti. The costs of casting the statue in bronze were covered by the Lions Club Ost, one of the founders of which in 1956 was Count Morando.

By installing a statue of Juliet in the courtyard of the Capulet house, the administration of the city of Verona fulfilled the promise made by Signor Montague to the father of a gentle girl who died in the name of love: “I will erect a statue of pure gold in honor of your daughter, and while the name of Verona exists, no image will be in it as valuable as a monument to the faithful and honest Juliet.”

William Shakespeare wrote: “As long as Verona bears this name, there will be no more valuable statue in it than the monument of the faithful Juliet.”

For some reason, bronze statues make tourists want to polish something, supposedly for good luck. In Monte Carlo, Adam was rubbed in a certain place so that there was almost nothing left of him. In the Spanish resort of Lloret de Mar, a fisherman's feet are rubbing; in Moscow, her nose is like a dog's. In this case, for good luck in love, the girl’s right breast is rubbed until shiny. Calls from the media to touch not the chest, but the girl’s right hand, also do not seem to reach some ears. If unfortunate Juliet knew what was in store for her after death...

They didn’t even try to break through the crowd of people who wanted to touch Juliet.

Having paid 6 euros, you can climb out onto the balcony, imagining yourself as the same Juliet. I didn't want to...

In the courtyard there is a small gift shop selling all kinds of love souvenirs. We didn’t find anything that we would want to buy. There is no smell of romance in this trampled place; love is not in the air.

Every year, the Verona Post Office receives thousands of letters addressed to Romeo and Juliet. Most of them come around Valentine's Day. Probably those who write these letters have not been to Verona...

On February 14, Valentine's Day, various events are held in the courtyard of Juliet's house, including an award ceremony for the authors of the most heartfelt letters.

There is also Juliet's tomb in Verona. We didn’t go looking, although according to rumors it was less crowded. The nameless sarcophagus in the Capuchin monastery is not the fact that it is the burial place of Juliet. But those who believed in the authenticity of the grave even chipped off pieces of stone for souvenirs... In order to stop the flow of pilgrims, in the Middle Ages a storage facility for water was somehow installed in the sarcophagus. In our time, the sarcophagus was placed in a kind of crypt and it is again an object of worship.

In general, it is always better to have your own love story that no one else has. You shouldn’t sculpt your secrets on the wall with chewing gum...

By the way, there is also one in Verona, which few people know about.

Every year on September 16, Verona celebrates Juliet's birthday (Il compleanno di Giulietta). On this day, the city is filled with all kinds of events - theatrical performances, costume processions, film screenings, performances by street musicians and dancers.

“There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet” (c)

I think I will not reveal any secret if I say that the majority... yes, to be honest, everyone who strives to Verona has one single goal - to visit the places where the famous tragedy of two loving hearts - Romeo and Juliet - took place ... Strange as it may seem, Shakespeare himself, who ensured fame for many centuries, I've never been to Italy. Such is the power of imagination!

In fact, it is known that Shakespeare used a plot that was not new for a long time. A hundred years before him, the Italian writer Masuccio described the tragedy of young lovers from warring clans. True, the action took place in Siena, and not in Verona, and the names were changed. Then, half a century later, Luigi da Porto's The Story of Two Noble Lovers appeared. Their names were already Romeo and Juliet, and they lived in Verona. A certain Bolderi read the work, was inspired and wrote the short story “Unhappy Love.” The plot was exploited by other writers. So Lope de Vega used the plot in the drama “Castelvins and Monteses”. Pierre Boiteau told the story of the Verona teenagers in French, the British Painter then translated it into English, which inspired Arthur Brooke’s poem “Romeo and Juliet.” Brooke's work was, in fact, used by Shakespeare. So the love of Romeo and Juliet was described many times before Shakespeare, but only Shakespeare remained for centuries.

In Verona, several attractions are associated with Romeo and Juliet.
Firstly, these are the houses of Romeo and Juliet, buildings that probably belonged in the 13th century to the famous Veronese families Monticoli (Montecca) and Dal Cappello (Capulets).

On Via Arca Scaligere there is a somewhat dilapidated old house, which has long been considered the House of Romeo - "Casa di Romeo" ("Casa di Romeo"). It can only be viewed from the outside, since it is private property, and all attempts by the City Administration to buy this building for the museum are categorically rejected by its owners.
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There is now a small restaurant here. If they wanted, the current owners could use Romeo’s legendary past to promote their, in my opinion, currently not very profitable restaurant, but it seems that something is still stopping them... or holding them back. Because it’s not enough to say that this establishment is “average”, but it could be “oh-oh-oh!” And now it’s even easy to skip this house if you don’t notice a board depicting a scene from Shakespeare’s tragedy, when Romeo leaves Verona after the death of Tybalt... and the words: “ There is no world outside Verona!"(my translation, therefore free!).
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But Juliet's House("Casa di Giulietta") at Via Cappello, 21 has been restored and is open to the public. This palace is marked above the entrance with an ancient marble statue in the shape of a hat - the coat of arms of the Dal Cappello family (cappello means “hat” in Italian). An Arch leads to the house, the walls of which have turned into a world wall of Announcements, or rather declarations of love (tourists call it the Wall of Love). Notes with the names of lovers are held on whatever you think - on chewing gum! My hubby and I also “checked in” there (“and I was there...”;)))).

It must be said that at the beginning of the 20th century the house was in deplorable condition. In 1907, it was put up for auction and purchased by the City to become a museum of the Shakespearean legend. In 1936, in the wake of the popularity of George Cukor's film Romeo and Juliet, vigorous work began on the restoration and partial reconstruction of the building in order to give it a more decorative appearance. The work was carried out in several stages: in the 1930s, 70s and 90s. At the last stage of restoration, the interior of the 14th century was reproduced in Juliet's House. In 1972, a bronze figure of Juliet by Verona sculptor Nereo Costantini was installed in the courtyard. Shakespeare's lines come to mind...
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There is nothing more beautiful under the sun than her

And there hasn't been since light was created...

It is believed that touching the statue brings good luck in love. That’s why the right breast of Shakespeare’s heroine is literally polished by the fingers of the suffering.

Out into the courtyard, which was once a garden, famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet, which does not remain empty for a second: every now and then another “Juliet” is shown, which is “photographed” from below by the newly-minted “Romeo”. ;))))

In Juliet's House they tried to reproduce the interior of the 14th century. In general, we tried our best... to tell the truth, there was nothing special to see there. Antique fireplaces with the Cappello family crest in the form of a cap, Juliet's bed, display cases with period costumes that Romeo and Juliet could have worn, and that's it.

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Every year on September 16, “the whole world” celebrates Juliet’s birthday here. And recently, beautiful wedding ceremonies and engagement ceremonies began to be held in Juliet’s house. They say that to the sounds of medieval music, the newlyweds, dressed in costumes from the times of Romeo and Juliet, receive a certificate on parchment on behalf of the Order of Montagues and Capulets, which confirms their right to happiness together. Oh, what romance! ;)))

In addition, the “Juliet” club “meets” here, where everyone can send their electronic message, in which words of love, no, of course, not to Juliet herself, who, it turns out, either was or wasn’t, but to specific people who live somewhere near us and are loved.

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Nearby is another project of the “club” - a shop where, in front of you, they “scribble” the names of your loved ones on ready-made things (towels, oven mitts, aprons, robes, etc.).

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Another attraction of Verona, reminiscent of a tragic and beautiful love story - Juliet's Tomb(Tomba di Giulietta) in the abolished Capuchin monastery on Via del Pontieri. Unlike the Capulet house, which is always noisy and crowded, the place where the crypt with Juliet’s tomb is located greets with peaceful silence. An alley entwined with greenery leads to the partially preserved buildings of the ancient monastery, founded in 1230 in honor of St. Francis of Assisi by the Order of Minorites (Franciscans). According to legend, the secret wedding of Romeo and Juliet took place in the monastery of San Francesco, and they were buried here.

A cool, vaulted dungeon leads to a red marble sarcophagus, where, according to guidebooks and legend, the remains of the “faithful Juliet” rested. But the sarcophagus is empty.
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They say with Many great people came here...Goethe, Heine, Madame De Staël, Maria Callass, Greta Garbo, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh... In 1816, Lord Byron, as an ordinary tourist, broke off a piece from the sarcophagus to give it to his daughter. Napoleon's wife also couldn't resist - she added earrings with stones from Juliet's sarcophagus to her jewelry. People need legends, you know? There is no need to debunk them.

By the way, next to the entrance to the monastery there is a modern sculptural composition (2008)... looking closely at it, we realized that it also depicts the couple “Romeo and Juliet”, only from China (about which there is a corresponding inscription).. .with wings like butterflies.

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

In 1667, Del Cappello's descendants urgently needed money, and the family estate was sold. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the house regularly changed owners, gradually deteriorating and falling into disrepair. Only in 1907 the building was bought by the city municipality to create a museum dedicated to the immortal play.

For almost thirty years, the Verona authorities were “swinging” and trying out which way to approach the restoration of such an ancient architectural object. It is possible that the thoughts could have dragged on for a longer period of time, if not for George Cukor’s film “Romeo and Juliet,” released in 1936. On the wave of interest in the romantic film adaptation, the Veronese people began to furnish the house.

As a result of the initial restoration in the 1930s, the mansion acquired the so-called “Juliet’s balcony,” presumably carved 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 film by D. Cukor. The second period of the “rebirth of the legend” occurred in the 70s of the last century. At this time, a bronze statue of Romeo’s beloved appeared in the courtyard, which later became part of the romantic cult.

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

Juliet's House today: what to see and what rituals a tourist should observe

Juliet's House is one of the few Verona attractions that you can visit both for money and with a completely empty pocket. If you are not eager to part with your own savings, just go to the courtyard to appreciate the appearance of the legendary house. You can stand under the balcony from which the heroine of Shakespeare's tragedy languidly gazed at her admirer for free.

While walking around the area, try to get close to the statue of Juliet. There is a funny ritual associated with this one and a half meter sculpture: it is believed that happy love awaits whoever touches a girl’s breasts. Since 1972, there were so many people who wanted to hold on to the charms of the bronze Italian woman that over time the statue began to crack. To prevent further destruction of the monument, the original Juliet was hastily moved to the museum, replacing it with a more modern copy.

By the way, the courtyard did not always look so clean and cozy. Just a few years ago, its interior walls were an unattractive sight. This is due to a long-standing tradition, according to which visitors to the house left notes for Juliet on the stonework. Requests, wishes, love poems were written on small pieces of paper, candy wrappers and scraps of newspaper. In addition, all this colorful variety was attached to the wall using ordinary chewing gum. In 2012, the city council officially banned posting notes on the wall, imposing a fine of 500 euros on violators. Now, in order to “reach out” to Shakespeare’s heroine, you will have to write a regular letter to the official Juliet Club, or compose an email on the organization’s website julietclub.com.

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

The interior design of the house is made in the 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.

The next floor is occupied by a luxurious hall with a fireplace, in which you can see the family coat of arms of the Del Cappello family, which is an ordinary... hat. It is believed that it was in this hall that the literary characters met and fell in love with each other. On the penultimate floor, props from the film “Romeo and Juliet” by F. Zeffirelli are carefully stored: a luxurious wooden bed and costumes of young lovers. The final part of the excursion is the ascent to the top floor of the house, where computer monitors are installed. The equipment is skillfully mounted in special “cases” that perfectly harmonize with the interiors of the room. If you have not yet left your own message for Juliet, then this omission can be corrected right here.

For visitors

Juliet's House is open to the public every day from 8:30 to 19:30 (on Monday from 13:30 to 19:30).

The courtyard and balcony of Verona's most popular landmark are always crowded and noisy, so be prepared to pay a long queue for the opportunity to take a good photo.

Fans of lavish events should better plan a tour of the legendary house on September 16. It is on this day that “Juliet’s Birthday” is solemnly celebrated here, which is part of the city’s medieval festival.

On the territory of the house there is a souvenir shop where you can buy various funny little things with love symbols.

Juliet's house hosts wedding ceremonies for future newlyweds. The lovers dress in medieval costumes and receive a marriage certificate certified by “representatives” of the Montague and Capulet families. For foreign tourists, such a celebration will cost an average of 1,500 euros.

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).