"J" is for Juliet

You’re probably familiar with William Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. The play is set in the northern Italian city of Verona and, though the characters are fictional, the city has happily adopted this tragic couple. Visitors now flock to a bronze statue of Juliet in the tiny courtyard of Casa di Giulietta and gaze up at her balcony as Romeo himself would have done.

Statue of Juliet, Verona

Juliet's Balcony

Romantics of all ages pose for photos with Juliet as they rub her right breast for good luck. This custom has become so popular that last year the statue was moved to a museum because of excessive wear and replaced by a replica. The original statue was found stuffed with old love letters. Ah, amore!

But Casa di Giulietta is not only for the lovelorn. Happy couples leave behind a love lock penned with their names and others scrawl romantic graffiti on a wall. There’s a convenient gift shop on-site to supply the padlocks and pens.

Love Locks

Graffiti Wall at Casa di Giulietta

This popular tourist site inspired one of my recommended films for armchair travellers, the 2010 romantic comedy Letters to Juliet starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave. Here’s a link to the movie trailer.

Next:  "K" is for Krupp