Contents
- Introduction
- About Verona
- Letters to Juliet Inspiration
- Brief Synopsis of Letters to Juliet
- Romeo and Juliet City of Verona Trail
- 1. Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta)
- 2. Romeo’s House (Casa di Romeo)
- 3. Arche Scaligere (Scaligeri Tombs)
- 4. Piazza dei Signori
- 5. Torre dei Lamberti (The Tower of Love)
- 6. Piazza delle Erbe
- 7. Via Pellicciai
- 8. Piazza Bra and Arena di Verona
- 9. Juliet’s Tomb (Tomba di Giulietta)
- 10. Ponte Pietra (Roman Bridge)
- 11. Castel San Pietro
- Practical Tips for Following the Trail
- Verona City Card
- More Romeo and Juliet Activity Ideas
Introduction
Welcome to “Fair Verona” city of romance and Shakespeare. If you’re looking for the ultimate romantic experience in Italy, Verona should be top of your list.
Known as the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this enchanting city offers a unique chance to walk in the footsteps of literature’s most famous lovers.
But it’s not just fiction – Verona was also the filming location for the 2010 romantic film ‘Letters to Juliet’, bringing even more heartwarming stories to life on its cobbled streets.
In this guide, I’ll take you on a self-guided Romeo and Juliet trail through Verona, with must-see stops for fans of both the classic play and the film.
Whether you’re exploring as a couple or simply love a good romance, this Verona walking tour will show you the most iconic – and most photogenic spots – in the city of love.
| ⌛In a Hurry? Top Recommendations: 🔗 Download PDF for this Romeo and Juliet Walking Trail 👉 Buy a Verona City Card to get into all the Verona Places of Interest 🏩 Stay in apartment with access to Juliet’s Courtyard |
🔗 Blogs to read: Review of where we stayed in Verona 🔗 Where to Stay in Verona, Italy: 8 Best Hotels in the Historic Centre
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This post is part of my complete Northern Italy Travel Guide, where I share itineraries, tips and DIY planning advice for visiting Northern Italy.
About Verona
Situated in north eastern Italy, along the River Adige, Verona’s architecture is layered in history pre-dating Roman times and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
💖 Verona is known as the city of love and is the backdrop of two Shakespeare plays.
Romeo and Juliet is tied to Verona’s identity and attracts thousands of tourists who want to experience the romance.
However, it is said Shakespeare never visited Verona and the play is based upon two previous novels that were located in Verona.
But let’s not let the truth get in the way of a great love story!
Letters to Juliet Inspiration
After watching the film ‘Letters to Juliet’ (2010) and its iconic Verona Romeo and Juliet location spots, I too wanted to see this gorgeous city and follow the trail of the star crossed lovers and spot some of the film locations for myself.
If you haven’t watched the film, I recommend you watch it before you visit Verona. The film includes some beautiful footage of Verona.
🎥 Brief Synopsis of Letters to Juliet
The protagonist, Sophie (Amanda Seyfied) visits Verona with her busy fiancée who is more obsessed with his restaurant than Sophie. While he goes off on business, Sophie is left to her own devices.
During her visit to Juliet’s House, she comes across the Secretaries of Juliet. A short time later, while helping them, she discovers a letter written 50 years before (behind a loose brick at Juliet’s house).
Sophie writes to the woman, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who comes back to Verona with her grandson (Christopher Egan) to seek her long-lost love, Lorenzo.
I invite you to follow this self-guided trail covering both the literary and cinematic highlights.
Please note: As this is based on a play and not real life, the locations of the play are imagined but the film locations are actually where the movie was filmed.
Romeo and Juliet City of Verona Trail
✨ This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Verona.
1. Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta)
We will start our romantic trail at the house of Juliet.
🌟 Tip: It is the busiest location so you will need to get here early before 9am. Or, if you are planning the tour in the afternoon – make it your last stop before it closes. Entrance to the courtyard is free.
This is the most famous and important site, not only in Shakespeare’s play but also in the film.
Here you will find the statue of Juliet, the famous Juliet’s balcony and the post box for letters to Juliet.
Juliet’s house is a beautiful medieval palace, the Dal Cappello family lived here in the 13th century. The statue of Juliet is situated in a small, pretty courtyard overlooked by Juliet’s balcony.
💖 “O Romeo, Romeo! (W)herefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and reuse thy name: (o)r , if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love , (a)nd I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”
📸 Hundreds of tourists flock here to take a picture of themselves with Juliet’s statue touching her right breast. This will bring you luck in love!
The statue in the courtyard is a replica of the real statue, which is inside the house.
🌟 Tip: If you would like to stand on the balcony and get a photo of you reenacting the balcony scene, you will need to purchase a ticket to the house.
While we were there, renovations were going on so there was not much to see inside the house, a few paintings of the Romeo and Juliet love scene, the real statue and the entry to the balcony.
🎥Letters to Juliet film location
The courtyard is featured in Letters to Juliet, where distraught young women are writing letters to Juliet and pinning them on the wall for the secretaries of Juliet. This is where Sophie finds the letter that starts the search for Lorenzo.
Unfortunately, tourists were actually pinning these letters to the walls with chewing gum! To discourage this, there is now a postbox.
If you would like to write a letter to Juliet, you can post your letter at Juliet’s house. The secretaries of Juliet are a team of volunteers who will actually write back to you.
Sadly, the balcony is a fairly recent addition and was added in the 1930’s and even worse – the balcony isn’t actually mentioned in the play! (“La La La” – finger in ears!)
👉 See Website for Opening Times and Tickets to the House
🗺️ Google Maps Location for Juliet’s House
2. Romeo’s House (Casa di Romeo)
Romeo’s house is another example of a beautiful medieval building but is actually a private residence so you cannot see inside. You might not even notice it except for the plaque on the wall outside, with the inscription:
💖 “Tut. I have lost myself. I am not here: This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.”
📸 Take a photo and make your way to the Arche Scaligere.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Romeo’s House
3. Arche Scaligere (Scaligeri Tombs)
These Gothic tombs are where Juliet stages her death.
The tombs were actually built for the Scala family, a very rich and important family in Verona from 1262-1387.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Arche Scaligere
4. Piazza dei Signori
This could be the place where Prince Escalus banishes Romeo and sends him away from the city to live in exile.
The scene is set in a public place so this could easily be imagined as the backdrop. It’s a formal, civic space where official proclamations and justice might be delivered – very fitting for this dramatic moment in the play.
🍕 There is also a really good pizza restaurant here called Pizzeria Impero!
5. Torre dei Lamberti (The Tower of Love)
Undoubtedly, one of the most recognisable landmarks in Verona and can be spotted in Letters to Juliet.
🌟 Tip: If you would like to see the views from the tower, entry is free with the Verona card. There is a lift or stairs.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Torre dei Lamberti
6. Piazza delle Erbe
Just a little way from Juliet’s house, this charming central square is bustling with cafes and market stalls. We stayed in apartment overlooking the square.
The Italian poet Dante wrote about two feuding families, no doubt these feuds would take place in a public space like Piazza delle Erbe.
🎥 Great for a coffee or gelato stop, the square is featured in Letters to Juliet. It’s also where you will see the Gardello Tower and the Madonna Verona Fountain, also featured in the film.
🗺️Google Maps Links to Piazza delle Erbe
7. Via Pellicciai
🎥 In Letters to Juliet, Sophie walks down this street. Take a photo and then make your way to Via Mazzini.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Via Pellicciai
🗺️Google Maps Link to Via Mazzini
This elegant shopping street connects Piazza delle Erbe to Piazza Bra. Ideal for window shopping and soaking in the atmosphere.
8. Piazza Bra and Arena di Verona
Piazza Bra is the main square in Verona and here you will find a plaque with the Romeo and Juliet story, depicting scenes from the play and the inscription:
💖”If You love Shakespeare don’t leave Verona without dropping a flower on Juliet’s grave. There is no world without Verona’s walls”.
🎥 The square is not directly linked to Romeo and Juliet but it is featured in the film. Sophie walks across the square and you see the Roman Arena.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Piazza Bra
9. Juliet’s Tomb (Tomba di Giulietta)
Situated a 20 minute walk away from the other Romeo and Juliet sites, Juliet’s tomb is a stone sarcosphagus, empty, without a lid. It is located in an underground crypt under the church of San Franciscan al Corso, a former convent.
As Shakespeare’s story goes, the church is where Juliet awaits Romeo, unbeknownst to him in a deep sleep, pretending to be dead so she can get out of the marriage to Paris.
The friar is supposed to send word to Romeo so that they can escape together but unfortunately Romeo never got the message, which leads to the tragic ending of the play.
The inscription on the walls in the garden read:
💖 “Eyes look your last! Arms take your last embrace! And, lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss, a dateless bargain to engrossing death!”
And thus brings us to the end of our romantic trail.
The Museum of Frescoes offers visitors who come to see the tomb an exhibition of art history and modern theories on restoration. If this isn’t your thing then it is probably best just to admire the gardens and see the tomb.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Juliet’s Tomb
🎥 More Letters to Juliet Extra Locations
10. Ponte Pietra (Roman Bridge)
🎥 This beautiful bridge is actually a replica of the original because it was bombed during the WWII. The bridge leads across the river to Castel San Pietro.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Ponte Pietra
11. Castel San Pietro
🎥 The sweeping view of Verona was taken from this viewpoint. You can walk up, or take the funicular (2 Euros /3 return).
📸 The views from up here are fantastic and it’s definitely worth visiting to take some photos. You can also have a coffee at the cafe.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Castel San Pietro
Practical Tips for Following the Trail
- How long it takes: Depending on how long you want to spend in the locations and if you go up to the Castel San Piedro – the tour should take a half-day to full-day.
- Footwear: The streets in Verona tend to be cobbled and occasionally slippy so wear comfortable footwear.
- Eat and Drink: Along the way take your time to stop and enjoy the food and drink in Verona.
Verona City Card
🌟 Top Tip: I recommend you purchase the Verona City Pass. It includes entrance to Verona museums, Juliet’s House and the Roman Arena. Children under 14 will not need a card. It is still vital to book Juliet’s House to get your time slot to enter the house.
You can buy your City Pass on my affiliate link below:
👉 Buy Verona City Pass on Get Your Guide
✨ This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Verona.
More Romeo and Juliet Activity Ideas
I hope you have enjoyed this romantic trail through story & screen.
🌟 Obsessed with the Romeo and Juliet story? Here’s some more ideas:
- Leave a love letter for Juliet – you are sure to get a reply!
- Stay near the balcony and get 24 hour access to the courtyard.
- Become a Secretary of Juliet! For more information about Juliet’s Club -visit their website.
- In the summer, Teatro Nuovo perform a production of Romeo and Juliet in the locations where the film is set!
- Special wedding Venue? You can get married in Juliet’s house or Juliet’s Tomb with the Marry me in Verona initiative.
Looking for more romantic getaways? Read my Romantic Getaways Ideas Blog
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