From fair Verona

---

From fair Verona, Shakespeare was inspired by the epic feuds between powerful families. He wrote of the Capulettes and the Montegues and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. With this romance in mind, we traveled to Verona to see what had really inspired the bard.

Before we continue, here’s Romeo & Juliet the short short short version. Romeo of the Montagues and Juliet of the Capuletes fall wildly in love but their families are bitter enemies. Being young and in love, they could care less about the feud. In the span of five days, they declare their love, kiss on the balcony, marry in secret, Romeo gets banished, Juliet concocts a wild plan to escape the city and her pushy parents by pretending to die. Romeo misses out on hearing the pretend part. He goes to her tomb, sees her lying there, kills himself (and the guy who was her parent’s choice for fiancé). She wakes up, sees Romeo dead, and kills herself. The families note the senseless and tragic consequences of their feud and end their quarrel. Now on to Verona…


We meandered through the streets and eventually found the home of Juliet. The walls of the courtyard are covered with the names of hopeful lovers who want a timeless kind of love… the kind of love that still inspires people centuries later, but perhaps with a bit less tragic ending. Young women from all over the world posed from Juliet’s balcony and smiling tourists took pictures from the courtyard below. Getting caught up in the magic and the romance was inevitable. I posed for my mom and she smiled as other tourists pointed their cameras at her young girl in the balcony. Love in any form is something to behold.

We traveled on to Via Shakespeare and to the lonely tomb of Juliet. The convent that maintains the crypt is tasked with also maintaining the feeling of love and loss. Towards that end there is a garden above the crypt with a wishing fountain and lovely flowers that bloom year round… the fountain for hope and the flowers for the memory of tragic loss. Down a steep staircase and into the crypt, again the feeling of something magical comes over you. The crypt of Juliet is cold and almost haunting in its simplicity. Here pilgrims of love have also written their names on the walls. You can’t help but wonder how many of those couples found their ever after… their kiss that inspired them to continue believing in love. Anyone who has ever loved can relate to the hope…

When we completed our journey with Shakespeare, we returned to the heart of Verona. Verona is second in the world for the preservation of classical Roman structures and ruins. We visited the Roman arena and imagined the contests, carnivals, and conquests that occurred there. We walked through arches and marveled at the advanced architecture. We got lost in the history… but out train schedule soon called us back to the modern world. We took the evening trains back to Florence.

We’re headed to Pisa tomorrow. Til then…



With love from Italy,

Rickelle & Cris

---