I recently saw the movie “Letters to Juliet“ with Vanessa Redgrave and Amanda Seyfried. Vanessa’s long lost love Lorenzo in the movie is actually her husband in real life.
The movie was filmed in Juliet’s hometown of Verona. Did you know that you could go to Verona and leave a message under her balcony at the 14th century palace? Look at all the documents under the picture in the post. Her secretaries will respond to your request offering advice about your Romeo. You don’t actually have to go to Verona to leave a letter, you can email the letter seeking romantic advice to her secretaries. The volunteers at the Juliet Club(Club di Giulietta) will answer your letter. On Valentine’s Day you may win a prize. Every Valentine’s Day a prize is awarded for the most beautiful letter. The prize includes a weekend trip to Verona. Juliet’s Club is financed by the city of Verona and was the subject of a book by Lise and Ceil Friedman.
The Capulet’s House (Casa di Giulietta) has a balcony, a courtyard and a bronze statue of Juliet. For good luck, stroke Juliet’s breast on the bronze statue. If you write your name and your loved-ones name on the wall, it is believed that your love will be everlasting.
The historic city of Verona has pastel candy-colored buildings. It was founded in the first century B.C. and is located at the foot of the Monte Lessini on the river. Verona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an outstanding example of a military stronghold. Verona is the second most important art center in the Venato region outside of Venice.
Verona has developed progressively and uninterruptedly for over 2000 years. The top row of the Roman Amphitheatre offers a panoramic view over the town and on a clear day the Alps are visible. The amphitheatre continues to serve as an opera house. Verona’s arena serves as a venue for an annual Shakespeare Festival. It was completed in 30 AD.
The Giardino Guisti is one of Italy’s most famous gardens and offers a beautiful view from the “monster balcony.” Verona flourished under the 124 year reign of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Several seminal stages of European history have been preserved in this magical city. Tour the museums to view masterpieces from the medieval and Renaissance periods.
When you go to Verona to send your letter to Juliet, have a seat at a café in the Piazza dei Signore and order a Rosso Veronese, Soave or Valpolicello Classico as you gaze at the imposing statue of Dante. Think about Shakespeare embellishing Romeo and Juliet’s love story in this romantic “City of Love”.
Another of my favourite places in Verona is Castelvecchio. This is part castle, partart museum and like so much of the town is steeped in history. Kids of all ages will love climbing the castle walls, making this the ideal place for families getting wanting a break from too much antiquity. On the other hand, the Castelvecchio museum has an interesting collection of sculptures and other exhibits from pre-Roman times to the Renaissance.
I have fond memories of the Piazza delle Erbe, the central square in the town, as it had remained picturesque and a great place to stroll and explore. The square has been the main meeting place since it was the forum of the Roman city and there are huge numbers of restaurants, bars, cafes and all manner of other shops to visit. I have heard from people who have visited Verona more recently that the piazza has changed now, possibly due to ‘improvement works’ by the city authorities in an attempt to bring in more tourists. However, unless they have removed the tower over the piazza and its merry fountain then I doubt that the atmosphere has changed greatly.
Dine at Osteria Sottoriva on Via Sattoriva and try some asparagus lasagna.Arche and Il Desco offer outstanding regional cuisine. There are two Buon Ricordo restaurant options near Verona: ( 1) Gardesana in Torri del Benacoke on the eastern Riviera of Lake Garda is located at Piazza Calderini, 20 (www.hotel-gardesana.com). Order the whitefish filet in sweet and sour sauce and gaze at the glistening lake from the terrace and (2) Ristorante 12 Apostoli on Vicolo Corticella S. Marco, 3 (www.12apostoli.it) offers a delightful vegetarian cuisince . This restaurant has a 250 year history.
The ‘fair Verona’ of today compares favourably with the one portrayed in Shakespeare. There are more tourists nowadays but the gang warfare between Montague’s and Capulet’s has subsided, leaving an appealing and relaxed place to visit. While neighbouring Venice has a greater number of sites to see, Verona is more laid back and lacks the stress and mania attached with Venice, especially in the high season.
The Capulet’s House (Casa di Giulietta) has a balcony, a courtyard and a bronze statue of Juliet. For good luck, stroke Juliet’s breast on the bronze statue. If you write your name and your loved-ones name on the wall, it is believed that your love will be everlasting.
The historic city of Verona has pastel candy-colored buildings. It was founded in the first century B.C. and is located at the foot of the Monte Lessini on the river. Verona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an outstanding example of a military stronghold. Verona is the second most important art center in the Venato region outside of Venice.
Verona has developed progressively and uninterruptedly for over 2000 years. The top row of the Roman Amphitheatre offers a panoramic view over the town and on a clear day the Alps are visible. The amphitheatre continues to serve as an opera house. Verona’s arena serves as a venue for an annual Shakespeare Festival. It was completed in 30 AD.
The Giardino Guisti is one of Italy’s most famous gardens and offers a beautiful view from the “monster balcony.” Verona flourished under the 124 year reign of the Scaliger family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Several seminal stages of European history have been preserved in this magical city. Tour the museums to view masterpieces from the medieval and Renaissance periods.
When you go to Verona to send your letter to Juliet, have a seat at a café in the Piazza dei Signore and order a Rosso Veronese, Soave or Valpolicello Classico as you gaze at the imposing statue of Dante. Think about Shakespeare embellishing Romeo and Juliet’s love story in this romantic “City of Love”.
Another of my favourite places in Verona is Castelvecchio. This is part castle, partart museum and like so much of the town is steeped in history. Kids of all ages will love climbing the castle walls, making this the ideal place for families getting wanting a break from too much antiquity. On the other hand, the Castelvecchio museum has an interesting collection of sculptures and other exhibits from pre-Roman times to the Renaissance.
I have fond memories of the Piazza delle Erbe, the central square in the town, as it had remained picturesque and a great place to stroll and explore. The square has been the main meeting place since it was the forum of the Roman city and there are huge numbers of restaurants, bars, cafes and all manner of other shops to visit. I have heard from people who have visited Verona more recently that the piazza has changed now, possibly due to ‘improvement works’ by the city authorities in an attempt to bring in more tourists. However, unless they have removed the tower over the piazza and its merry fountain then I doubt that the atmosphere has changed greatly.
Dine at Osteria Sottoriva on Via Sattoriva and try some asparagus lasagna.Arche and Il Desco offer outstanding regional cuisine. There are two Buon Ricordo restaurant options near Verona: ( 1) Gardesana in Torri del Benacoke on the eastern Riviera of Lake Garda is located at Piazza Calderini, 20 (www.hotel-gardesana.com). Order the whitefish filet in sweet and sour sauce and gaze at the glistening lake from the terrace and (2) Ristorante 12 Apostoli on Vicolo Corticella S. Marco, 3 (www.12apostoli.it) offers a delightful vegetarian cuisince . This restaurant has a 250 year history.
The ‘fair Verona’ of today compares favourably with the one portrayed in Shakespeare. There are more tourists nowadays but the gang warfare between Montague’s and Capulet’s has subsided, leaving an appealing and relaxed place to visit. While neighbouring Venice has a greater number of sites to see, Verona is more laid back and lacks the stress and mania attached with Venice, especially in the high season.
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