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Verona

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” – it is one of the most famous lines in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a play that has been beloved for centuries.

But where is Romeo? The answer was always right there in the prologue of the script – “In fair Verona, where we set our scene.”

We should note that – albeit often misinterpreted – the line “Wherefore art thou Romeo” is not actually Juliet asking “where” Romeo is, but is questioning “why” he exists (we couldn’t help ourselves!).

Still, should you ever want to find the real-world place where Shakespeare decided to set his fictional play, all you need to do is visit the city of Verona in the Veneto region of northern Italy.

Not far from Venice and near to Lake Garda, Verona is surrounded by beauty and steeped in history. It is impossible not to feel a sense of awe when seeing the historic Roman heritage sites, particularly the ancient Verona Arena. It’s very well preserved and similar, although much smaller, than the Colosseum in Rome. Then there’s the Roman theatre up in the hills, and the Castelvecchio, a medieval castle that is now a museum.

A Touch Of Luck?

Two old houses and their ex-inhabitants, the Montecchi and the Cappello family, are murmured to have been the inspiration behind Romeo and Juliet, although the buildings’ influence has been debated. Many argue that the Bard never visited Verona or even Italy. Real or not, they have become two of the main tourist sites in the city.

La Casa di Giulietta – Juliet’s House, located down Via Capello, one of the winding side streets away from the grand Piazza Delle Erbe – in particular is surrounded by folklore, drawing people in.

It has for long been myth that touching the bronze statue of Juliet’s breast will bring good luck – so much so that the original created in 1968 had to be moved to the house’s museum and replaced by a copy in 2014.

The house is also where you’ll find the Juliet Wall, to which people attach letters addressed to ‘Dear Juliet’ in the hopes of making their love everlasting.

All letters are translated, answered, and archived by a team of volunteers at the Club di Giulietta, less than a five-minute walk away. You can visit the archives by prior arrangement at julietclub.com