Juliet's Tomb
The tomb of Juliet is located far from the main monuments in the center of Verona. It is located in the vaults of the Abbey of San Francesco. Based on the play by William Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet" are buried here. Sightseeing is not included in general tours of Verona, but only in special "Romeo and Juliet" tours.
The great work
Shortly after Shakespeare wrote the love story, a real sarcophagus for lovers was installed in the courtyard of the monastery. Over time, the whole world learned about Juliet's Tomb. The lid of the sarcophagus and the remains inside were taken to a secret location by the Venetian government because they did not want people who voluntarily passed away to attract too much attention from the public.
The lidless, completely empty sarcophagus was listed as the burial place of the beautiful Juliet back in the early nineteenth century. Despite this, fans of literature still came to the monastery to glorify the couple in love. Even celebrities such as Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's wife, visited Juliet's Tomb. After the visit, she had jewelry made from fragments of an empty sarcophagus.
A scene from the movie
Juliet's tomb, in its modern form, dates back only to 1937. While in Verona, the Metro Goldwin Mayer film company was looking for the perfect scenery for its colossal new film Romeo and Juliet. The film was not recorded in Verona, but the incredible success it enjoyed allowed Director Avena to imagine the inevitable flow of tourists to Verona in search of the places described in the film. The final scene took place not in a monastery, but in a crypt: probably inspired by the choice of a cinema, the museum director decided to give the sarcophagus a more impressive background, similar to the film.
The bonds of love
Today, Juliet's Tomb is a place where weddings are celebrated: many couples come, especially from abroad, to perpetuate their dream of love in the place where Romeo and Juliet saw their hopes dashed. The story of the two lovers is known all over the world, it will not leave anyone indifferent.
And here, in a place illuminated by tall Gothic windows, where Juliet's Tomb awaits romantic tributes to visitors, a special tradition arose: the habit of addressing messages of love to "Juliet." A whole squad of secretaries collects these messages and responds to them, because Juliet's story is a legend, and the torments of love that gripped men and women from all continents are a reality.
