It was in Verona that Shakespeare set the tragic love story between Romeo and Juliet. The inhabitants of the city recognised the house of the Cappello family in the description of the House of Juliet and a tourist attraction was born. The famous balcony is a 20th century addition, however.
Juliet’s Balcony Verona
Address, opening hours and entrance fee
Address: Via Cappello, 23 – Verona. Telephone: +39 0458034303. Public transport: Bus: 96, 97. Opening Hours: 08.30 to 19.30 (Monday: 13.30 to 19.30). The ticket office is open until 18.45. Closed: Monday mornings. Entrance fee: 6 Euro (4.50 Euro with discount); free for children under 7; free for VeronaCard holders; from October to May 1 Euro on the 1st Sunday of the month. It is recommended to make a reservation if you want to go inside, since the queues tend to be rather long.
History and description
In the courtyard of the Casa di Giulietta there is a beautiful brick facade with a Gothic front door. The windows have the shape of a cloverleaf and there is a balustrade that runs along the whole house. Most important of course is the balcony.
In this courtyard stands a bronze statue of one of the most famous characters in the history of literature. The statue was sculpted by Nereo Costantini.
The building itself dates from the 13th century and was owned by the Cappello family. In the 1930’s it was restored by Antonio Avena.
The famous balcony was only added in the early 20th century, although the material used is a lot older. It is assembled from 14th century blocks of marble that were stored in the Castelvecchio.
The furniture in the house itself dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. There are frescoes depicting scenes from the love story of Romeo and Juliet.
Nowadays the Casa di Giulietta is also used as an exhibition space.