by Dionne Haynes
•
28 Apr, 2023
Hubby and I recently visited Italy to celebrate a special Wedding Anniversary. We spent part of our holiday in Verona, where we saw this famous balcony with a literary connection. Verona is a beautiful city with much of its medieval past well-preserved in and around its historic centre. This balcony is at the Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s House. The house dates back to the early 14th century, and was restored in the early 20th century with a complete rebuild of the interior using architectural and decorative pieces from the medieval period. It also houses the bed used on set for Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet . The house, its interior and its tributes to Shakespeare and his famous play, are proving a popular tourist attraction with hundreds visiting daily to walk in Juliet’s footsteps onto the balcony. But, of course, this house is one grand delusion. Juliet didn’t live here, and she never stood on the balcony saying “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Juliet was a fictional character, and Shakespeare found inspiration for his play from a tale written in the early 16th century by Italian writer, soldier, monk and Bishop, Matteo Bandello. It’s unlikely Shakespeare ever walked the streets of Verona, but I am thrilled to have visited this “shrine” to his greatest known tragedy. For several moments, I stood on that balcony and imagined myself in Juliet’s shoes. Isn’t it wonderful how fiction can pull at our emotions and make us believe, even just for a moment, that the story might actually be true? 🥰