In seventh grade, my dear friend from Garden City, Kansas, Annette, gave a dramatic reading of the opening scene of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. How shocked I was to hear my friend’s Elizabethan accent instead of a Midwestern Twang! I was enthralled with the thought of “fair Verona” and now I’m on my way.
We can all agree that Romeo and Juliet is fiction but based on a story that comes out of Verona. There is no evidence that Shakespeare even visited Verona, but it is the chosen setting of his famous story.
(Another Shakespearean story that mentions Verona is the Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Due to my interests, Rob scheduled a Romeo and Juliet tour at 1:30pm, the hottest part of the day. She was a no show. It was so disappointing especially since this was our only day to experience this unique tour. Rob became my substitute tour guide and did his best with GPSmyCity.
The story of Romeo and Juliet, as a tragic romance between members of feuding families, was popularized in 16th-century Italy by writers like Luigi da Porto and Matteo Bandello. Da Porto’s work, in particular, is considered a key source for later adaptations.
Arthur Brooke’s poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet was the first English version of the story and served as a primary source for Shakespeare. Shakespeare transformed the narrative into a dramatic masterpiece with its iconic characters, intense emotions, and memorable language.
Although the story is set in Verona and involves feuding families, there’s no concrete historical evidence that Romeo and Juliet were real people or that the events depicted actually occurred. However, the Montecchi and the Cappelletti families in the story were indeed involved in feuds.
You have heard of mall walkers. Well, we are wall walkers. Here are several walls that are still intact. These walls were certainly here in the time of our famous story.
Juliet’s House
This house would be typical of the setting of Romeo and Juliet. Today it is packed with tourists.
House of Romeo
Site of Juliet’s Death
Site of the Fatal Dual
Town Hall in the Piazza dei Signori
Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore
The Crypt of San Zeno
Who doesn’t love a bride? On this day, these two modern lovers were marrying in the chapel at the back of the church.
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