By : Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News 
March 20, 2009 -- The House of Juliet, with the legendary balcony where Juliet Capulet is said to have pined for Romeo, will soon be used as a venue for weddings, city officials in Verona have announced.
The 13th century family home of the Cappello family who, according to legend, were the Capulets of Shakespeare's tragic play, has been always a place of pilgrimage for lovers from all over the world.
The tradition for couples is to first stroke the right breast of the languid bronze statue of Juliet in the courtyard -- the gesture is believed to bring good luck -- then leave love notes on the house's walls and Gothic wooden doors.
Now the city wants to strengthen its romantic reputation by offering love-struck couples the chance to tie the knot in the courtyard right below the famous stone balcony.
"We are simply promoting Verona's reputation as the city of love," Daniele Polato, the city official who made the proposal, told Discovery News.
Not far from other romantic places such as Lake Garda and Venice, Verona aims to become a wedding destination just as popular as Las Vegas.
"We are working at various wedding packages that include everything from flower arrangements to hotel accommodation. We plan to be ready in May, a popular wedding month," Polato said.
The House of Juliet will be open to weddings each Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday mornings. But the privilege of getting hitched in the famous location at No. 23 Via Cappello will come at a price.
Under the "Marry Me in Verona" project, a balcony wedding will cost Verona residents 600 euros (about $780). European Union couples will have to pay 200 euros more (about $1,040), while non-EU lovers will have to shell out 1,000 euros ($1,300).
"It might seem expensive, but the fee must cover processing documents, and expenses related to city hall staff and their extended hours. More documentation is needed for non-residents and foreign people, that's why there is the price difference," Polato explained.
Juliet's house reopened a year ago after a radical clean-up, following a failed attempt to make Juliet go digital, using text messages displayed on a giant screen inside the house.
Apparently the idea of posting electronic messages was too unromantic, so old fashioned love notes continued to cover the building. Eventually the building was literally coated with letters, graffiti and chewing gum, used to stick the love notes.
"We had to close the house to clean it properly. We have now solved the problem by placing large, removable wooden panels on the walls. Visitors can leave their love message there, and we can easily clean the panels every two-three months," Polato said.
According to Polato, requests for Juliet weddings are growing as fast as the love notes accumulate on the building's walls.
"We are receiving hundreds of requests from Italy, Europe, Japan and the United States," Polato said.
At the House of Juliet, many visitors agree that the place would be the most romantic of settings to get married, according to a report by the Italian news agency ANSA.
"This is the perfect spot. But don't forget that we are talking of a Shakespeare's creation. I would have expected a discount for British couples," Paul, a tourist from England, told ANSA.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/20/romeo-juliet-weddings.html
"We are working at various wedding packages that include everything from flower arrangements to hotel accommodation. We plan to be ready in May, a popular wedding month," Polato said.
The House of Juliet will be open to weddings each Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday mornings. But the privilege of getting hitched in the famous location at No. 23 Via Cappello will come at a price.
Under the "Marry Me in Verona" project, a balcony wedding will cost Verona residents 600 euros (about $780). European Union couples will have to pay 200 euros more (about $1,040), while non-EU lovers will have to shell out 1,000 euros ($1,300).
"It might seem expensive, but the fee must cover processing documents, and expenses related to city hall staff and their extended hours. More documentation is needed for non-residents and foreign people, that's why there is the price difference," Polato explained.
Juliet's house reopened a year ago after a radical clean-up, following a failed attempt to make Juliet go digital, using text messages displayed on a giant screen inside the house.
Apparently the idea of posting electronic messages was too unromantic, so old fashioned love notes continued to cover the building. Eventually the building was literally coated with letters, graffiti and chewing gum, used to stick the love notes.
"We had to close the house to clean it properly. We have now solved the problem by placing large, removable wooden panels on the walls. Visitors can leave their love message there, and we can easily clean the panels every two-three months," Polato said.
According to Polato, requests for Juliet weddings are growing as fast as the love notes accumulate on the building's walls.
"We are receiving hundreds of requests from Italy, Europe, Japan and the United States," Polato said.
At the House of Juliet, many visitors agree that the place would be the most romantic of settings to get married, according to a report by the Italian news agency ANSA.
"This is the perfect spot. But don't forget that we are talking of a Shakespeare's creation. I would have expected a discount for British couples," Paul, a tourist from England, told ANSA.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/20/romeo-juliet-weddings.html
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