Taking A Visit to Juliet's Balcony, Verona

Last updated on 9 May 2025

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There were definitely stops along our Contiki route that I hadn’t really clicked were famous places. The big spots, yes, and I was looking forward to those, but I hadn’t really engaged much with the itinerary in detail for some of our mini stops along the way. And visiting Verona and Juliet’s balcony was one of those.

I absolutely wish we had more time in Verona. It was a whirlwind, lunchtime stop as we drove from Nice in France to Venice, Italy, and we only really had time to find Juliet’s balcony and grab some pizza to eat in the square before heading off again.

The little I saw of Verona was very cute. Those Italian cobbled streets, shops that were both mainstream stores you’d find anywhere in Europe or even the world, and then little boutique Verona-only stores.

Through the streets and down an alleyway with a guard at the entrance, you’ll find her, her house, and the famous balcony.

Juliet’s balcony in Verona

We’re probably hard pressed to find someone these days who at least doesn’t know a little bit of the Romeo and Juliet story by Shakespeare. But it’s that famous scene where Juliet is standing on her balcony, and Romeo down below speaking up to her, that is the reason this balcony (and a statue of Juliet) are so famous.

It’s quite unassuming. Just an Italian balcony in a little courtyard tucked into the hustle and bustle of Verona, ‘her house’ is just opposite in the courtyard. But, like many a popular tourist spot, it was very busy when we went. Not so busy that the guy at the entrance wouldn’t let us in, but busy all the same.

I did manage to get a photo of Juliet without anyone in the picture, and as you can see, apparently, you’ll have good luck in love if you touch her chest – the different colouring on the statue is evidence that everyone does it, even though Juliet’s own love story was rather tragic.

A little history of Juliet’s balcony

Of course, the characters of Romeo and Juliet never really existed, and, as it turns out, Shakespeare apparently never went to Verona. But there is set his arguably most famous play.

Many stories, even plays back in the day, have some truth to them, or they’re inspired by true tales, places, or other stories. The building that is now said to be ‘Juliet’s house’ used to belong to the Cappello family (sounds like ‘Capulet’ to you, too?), and dates way back to the 13th century. Juliet’s balcony, though, wasn’t added in this location until the 20th century, which does lose a bit of its whimsy and meaning, perhaps.

There’s a tiny museum and a gift shop in the courtyard, too, and the ‘secritaries of Juliet’ who reply to the many, many letters that people still write to Juliet today. They write in asking for Juliet’s blessing on their up-and-coming marriage or to ask for relationship advice. People love a little bit of whimsy and storytelling, especially if it’s about love.

People used to leave notes to Juliet, stuck all over the stone with chewing gum (ew), but not only did the notes not stick, but the council and heritage groups were concerned about the preservation of the stone, so they had to come up with a new plan.

You can learn more about the history of Juliet’s balcony here.

Was Juliet’s Balcony worth visiting?

I think if you’re in Verona anyway, sure! It’s a fun little bit of literature that you can ‘see’ in real life, and there aren’t many spots around like it, where literature and story step into reality.

It was something that I was keen to do when we were there, and even though we only had a few hours, it was just a five-ish minute walk from the central square and the Roman amphitheatre, so I’m very glad that we made the effort to go and check her out.

Should you make a specific stop on your Italian road trip just to see it? Probably not. Not unless you’re doing a literature tour or you’re a keen Shakespeare fan. After all, it’s just a balcony.

Have you been?

I’d love to know if you’ve been to Verona and also what you did there! I’d love to go back and visit and spend some more time wandering over the cobbled stones and checking out some of the interesting historical sites (and literary sites, too!).

Let me know in the comments if you’ve been to Verona and if you went to find Juliet’s balcony!