Aspetti generali
Verona è una delle più antiche e più belle città italiane: essa conta circa 250.000 abitanti ed è la maggiore città del Veneto, dopo Venezia. Vicina al lago di Garda, adagiata sulle sponde dell’Adige, ai piedi delle Prealpi venete, gode di una felice posizione climatica. Verona si trova al centro delle maggiori vie di comunicazione, nazionali e internazionali: per questo motivo essa è da sempre un importante centro di traffici e di scambi commerciali, alimentati – tra l’altro – dalla buona produzione industriale e dalla rilevante produzione agricola della provincia.

Cenni storici
Incerte sono le origini, incerto il significato del nome stesso di Verona. Nel III secolo a.C. essa è popolata dai Veneti, ma già nel 89 a.C. Verona diventa colonia romana. Per Verona passavano importanti strade romane: la Claudia Augusta, la Postumia, la Gallica. Nel periodo delle invasioni barbariche, Teodorico fissa a Verona la sede del regno e costruisce un sontuoso castello sul colle di San Pietro. Anche Berengario, eletto re d’Italia, sceglie Verona come propria residenza. In età medievale Verona diventa libero comune e raggiunge il massimo splendore con la dinastia degli Scaligeri.
Dopo un breve dominio dei Visconti e dei Carraresi, nel 1405 la città si consegna spontaneamente alla Serenissima. Il dominio di Venezia dura circa quattrocento anni, fino all’invasione francese del 1797. Con il Trattato di Campoformio (ottobre 1797), Napoleone cede Verona e gran parte del suo territorio all’Austria.
Al tempo della dominazione austriaca, Verona diventa uno dei capisaldi del Quadrilatero. Finalmente, nel 1866, un plebiscito unisce Verona al Regno d’Italia.

Historical Notes. Regardless of the ancient site that hosts it (the convent, which previously belonged to the Cappuccini Monks, dates from the XIII century), Juliet’s tomb as we now see it dates only back to 1937. That year, the Director of Veronese Museums Antonio Avena decided to give a new face to the site most identified as the place of burial of the Shakespearean heroine. An ancient red marble sarcophagus had lain in the garden of the former convent for decades, perhaps even centuries. With no cover, the completely empty sarcophagus was indicated as the place of burial of the beautiful Juliet, as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Another important event created the final push to transform the site that hosted Juliet’s tomb: a stay in Verona by the troupe of Metro-Goldwin-Mayer, which was then seeking ideal settings for its new colossal film, Romeo and Juliet. The film (starring Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard), was not recorded in Verona, but the extraordinary success that it enjoyed allowed Avena to imagine an imminent, conspicuous flow of tourists to Verona, in search of the places described in the film. Here, however, the final scene of the double suicide was not set in the cloister of the convent, but in a crypt: it was probably on inspiration of the cinema choice that the museum director decided to give the sarcophagus a more suggestive backgound. Today, Juliet’s tomb is the sight where civil weddings are celebrated: many couples come especially from abroad, to crown their dream of love in the place where Romeo and Juliet saw their hopes shattered. And here, in the den illuminated by the high gothic windows, where the empty tomb awaits the romantic tribute of visitors, a singular tradition was born: the habit of addressing messages of love to “Juliet, Verona”. An entire squad of secretaries gathers these messages and answers them, because the story of Juliet is legend, but the throes of love that afflict men and women from every continent are a reality.

Juliet’s house

One of the most celebre Verona attractions ever. Read details about Romeo and Juliet story and Juliet house .

Visiting hours: 8am-7pm
closed on Monday

Historical Notes. Regardless of the ancient site that hosts it (the convent, which previously belonged to the Cappuccini Monks, dates from the XIII century), Juliet’s tomb as we now see it dates only back to 1937. That year, the Director of Veronese Museums Antonio Avena decided to give a new face to the site most identified as the place of burial of the Shakespearean heroine. An ancient red marble sarcophagus had lain in the garden of the former convent for decades, perhaps even centuries. With no cover, the completely empty sarcophagus was indicated as the place of burial of the beautiful Juliet, as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Another important event created the final push to transform the site that hosted Juliet’s tomb: a stay in Verona by the troupe of Metro-Goldwin-Mayer, which was then seeking ideal settings for its new colossal film, Romeo and Juliet. The film (starring Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard), was not recorded in Verona, but the extraordinary success that it enjoyed allowed Avena to imagine an imminent, conspicuous flow of tourists to Verona, in search of the places described in the film. Here, however, the final scene of the double suicide was not set in the cloister of the convent, but in a crypt: it was probably on inspiration of the cinema choice that the museum director decided to give the sarcophagus a more suggestive backgound. Today, Juliet’s tomb is the sight where civil weddings are celebrated: many couples come especially from abroad, to crown their dream of love in the place where Romeo and Juliet saw their hopes shattered. And here, in the den illuminated by the high gothic windows, where the empty tomb awaits the romantic tribute of visitors, a singular tradition was born: the habit of addressing messages of love to “Juliet, Verona”. An entire squad of secretaries gathers these messages and answers them, because the story of Juliet is legend, but the throes of love that afflict men and women from every continent are a reality.