Verona considered “the” city of love based on several literary traditions.
Verona: The city of love
Verona è considerata da lungo tempo “la” città dell’amore grazie a diverse tradizioni letterarie. È, dopotutto, l’ambientazione del celebre dramma di William Shakespeare, Romeo e Giulietta. Qui si trovano la casa e la tomba di Giulietta, oltre al famoso balcone sotto il quale un giovane innamorato dichiarò il suo amore a una ragazza di una famiglia rivale.
Verona has long been considered “the” city of love due to its rich literary traditions. It is, after all, the setting for William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Here, you’ll find Juliet’s house, tomb, and the famed balcony where a young boy professed his love to a girl from a rival family.
The eternal love of Dante
The city was also home to Dante, who, during his exile from Florence, spent time in Verona writing part of the Divina Commedia. Dante expressed his admiration for Beatrice, the woman who symbolized the ideal of female perfection. To honor him, a statue of Dante stands in Piazza dei Signori, near Juliet’s house.
It’s no surprise that every Valentine’s Day, Verona’s citizens celebrate love with a large red heart in Piazza delle Erbe. In this romantic setting, you’ll also find Juliet’s secretaries—a group of people dedicated to responding to love letters sent to Juliet from all over the world
From Juliet’s Balcony to the Secrets of the Juliet Club
In the 1930s, Ettore Solimani, the caretaker of Juliet’s Tomb, began collecting and replying to letters left by visitors. In 1972, Giulio Tamassia founded the Juliet Club, an organization that still reads, translates, and responds to these letters, preserving them in its archives.
The Charm of Juliet’s Letters
The magic of Juliet’s love letters is profoundly moving—a captivating fusion of romance and dreams. Their mystique has inspired not only countless admirers but also books and films. One famous example is the 2010 romantic comedy Letters to Juliet, starring Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, and Vanessa Redgrave. The film tells the sweet story of an English woman who discovers love fifty years after writing a letter to Juliet. Beyond the touching plot, I loved this film for its stunning cinematography showcasing Verona and Tuscany and for the carefully selected Italian music, which added an authentic touch.
More recently, I came across an article about Glenn Dixon, a Canadian professor of English literature whose love story intertwined with his work as an emissary for Juliet. His experiences led him to write a touching memoir titled “Juliet’s Answer: One Man’s Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak.” where he recounts how working for Juliet helped him find true love.
I, too, have been captivated by Juliet and the romantic aura of Verona. I have walked the same streets where Dante once roamed and where the timeless love story of Juliet and Romeo is said to have unfolded. The romance of the city is so inspiring that I wove it into my novel Dreaming Sophia. In the story, my protagonist, Sophia, finds comfort and guidance in Juliet’s courtyard, where she learns a new, private language of love: a language entirely her own of love.
It seems that Juliet’s influence,
much like love itself, knows no boundaries or limits.
If you want to write a letter to Juliet, here is the address. You will be answered.
Juliet Club
Corso Santa Anastasia 29, 37133 Verona, Italy
Romantic Italian phrases
Scrivere una lettera d’amore è un atto di coraggio e passione.
(Writing a love letter is an act of courage and passion.)
Juliet rappresenta l’ideale dell’amore eterno.
(Juliet represents the ideal of eternal love.)
Ho trovato conforto nelle parole delle segretarie di Giulietta.
(I found comfort in the words of Juliet’s secretaries.)
Trailer for Letters to Juliette
