Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me. — Sigmund Freud
I’m not sure if the Bard of Avon ever actually traveled to Verona, but he surely started a trend. Verona (with apologies to my new home state of Virginia) has become the location for lovers. Every year, hordes of tourists from all over the world come to get their fill of those crazy star-crossed teenagers, Romeo e Giulietta. They take photos under Juliet’s balcony (even though it was reputedly added to the house in the 1920s); they travel to the Capuchin monastery of San Francesco al Corso to see where the young lovers supposedly committed suicide; they scrawl love notes to amore on the house walls and even rub the right breast of the bronze statue of poor Juliet (another 20th-century addition) to ensure that loves comes to them. Or stays. Or whatever.
Real or not, the story of Romeo and Juliet is alive and well in Verona and love is a theme throughout the city. This northern Italian masterpiece is second only to Venice in its popularity in the Veneto region. It boasts a summer-long festival of the arts which includes a series of free concerts and the unique Sognando Shakespeare (Dreaming Shakespeare) in which a traveling troupe of young actors wanders around the city reciting scenes from Romeo e Giulietta. There are horse fairs and wine fairs and a regular traveling antiques market on the third Saturday of every month. Of course, there’s the Festival Shakespeariano (Shakespeare Festival) at the Teatro Romano in June, July and August. And how about opera al fresco, at the Arena di Verona — its ancient Roman amphitheatre — all summer long?
Verona is a great destination for a holiday, but it’s also a fabulous place for a big occasion. A cocktail party. A special event. A wedding — since early 2009 you can even get married by Juliet’s balcony. Check out www.today.msnbc.com/id/29678226/ns/today-today_weddings for more information. And Verona is so well-located, your friends and family will enjoy traveling to this fairy tale of a Medieval and Renaissance city. Bordered by the Fiume Adige (Adige River), and containing one of the most beautiful piazzas in all of Italy, Verona offers a lot to see and is missed by many American travelers who tend to go to the better-known cities of Rome, Florence and Venice. I heartily recommend Verona. For a quick video introduction to the city, see www.webvisionitaly.com/category.php?id=298.
And I also heartily recommend the Palazzo Castellani, located in the historic center of Verona, for any special event. I had the pleasure of presenting a reading for my book, Up at the Villa: Travels with my Husband, in The Hall (Salone) in September. It was breathtaking. Its ornate ceiling, huge chandelier, 17th Century paintings and a gorgeous Viennese pianoforte create an environment that is fit for a king. Or a bride. Or a really important business function. My friends, the famiglia Castellani, will be happy to answer any of your questions and show you how to make your next special event — and your stay in Verona — a most memorable time in your life. Visit www.palazzocastellani.com for a video tour of the palace and gardens. And then book your reservations!
Buon viaggio!
Linda Dini Jenkins is a card-carrying Italophile, travel planner, freelance writer, and amateur photographer. Travel is her passion, so writing about her travels just comes naturally. She hopes all her travelers find a way to express their joys, surprises, and fears as they travel and gives every traveler a nifty journal to help smooth the way. Learn more…
