Juliet’s house in Verona becomes paid entry. How much does it cost to see the balcony?

Verona is the city of love, whose fate seems inextricably linked to the tragic and romantic story of Romeo and Juliet. Every day, thousands of people from all over the world stop in front of the house, or beneath the balcony, hoping to relive the magic of one of the most famous love stories in world literature. From December 2025, however, visitors will have to pay an entrance fee decided by the City of Verona to combat overtourism.

But what makes this place so special? Did Juliet really exist? And what secrets do the house and balcony hold?

How much does it cost to see Juliet’s balcony?

In recent years, also aided by social media, which prompt more and more people to visit and photograph the most iconic places in any city, Juliet’s house has been taken by storm by visitors from all over the world, who crowd into the courtyard to admire its balcony from below, immortalise the statue and visit the rooms associated with the protagonist of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

The situation worsens during the peak season, when the flow of tourists from Italy and abroad increases. This is why the City Council has decided to introduce an entrance fee that visitors will have to pay from 6 December 2025 to 6 January 2026.

The ticket to access the courtyard (previously free) costs €12 and must be booked online. The city administration has also reduced the courtyard’s capacity, only 100 people will be allowed at the same time (previously 130), established a maximum number of daily entries and introduced group visits, of up to 45 people, every quarter of an hour.

What is the true story of Romeo and Juliet?

Legend has surpassed reality: many people believe that Romeo and Juliet are merely fictional characters born from the pen of William Shakespeare, but the truth is more complex. The tragedy is inspired by legends and historical events that intertwine with the real medieval Verona.

The figures who inspired the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet really existed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Shakespeare’s version draws inspiration from the true story of two young cousins of the Savorgnan family: Lucina Savorgnan del Monte di Osoppo and Luigi Da Porto.

In 1511, the powerful Savorgnan family was divided into two branches, the del Torre and the del Monte, both influential but in conflict over political issues. During a masked carnival ball on 26 February 1511, held at the Savorgnan palace (where Piazza Venerio in Udine stands today), Luigi met Lucina, his cousin, and an impossible love was born between them due to the rivalry between the two families.

The story became even more complex when Louis went to war, from which he returned severely wounded, with the left side of his body paralysed. Retreating to the castle of Montorso Vicentino, he was forced to confront a painful reality: Lucina had to accept an arranged marriage to foster peace between the two family factions.

During his retirement, Louis wrote the work “Alla bellissima e leggiadra Madonna Lucina Savorgnana”, which, according to the scholar Cecil Clough, was composed around 1517 on the occasion of Lucina’s wedding to Francesco Savorgnan del Torre. To avoid having the story associated with his personal experience, Louis would later backdate it to the 1300s.

Unlike Lucina, the female character in Luigi’s novella, Juliet chooses to take her own life rather than accept an arranged marriage. At the end of the work, Louis criticises women who do not show the same fidelity and constancy as his protagonist.

Da Porto’s tale would later be taken up and transformed by Shakespeare into the immortal play, giving rise to the myth we know today, a story that continues to inspire musicals and theatrical productions around the world.

Why does Juliet’s balcony exist?

One of the most photographed elements by tourists is Juliet’s famous balcony, but its history is not exactly what one might imagine. In fact, this balcony, now the protagonist of the romantic fantasies of millions of visitors, did not originally exist in the structure of the house.

It was added in the 1930s, during a renovation aimed at enhancing the house as a tourist attraction linked to the myth of Romeo and Juliet. However, it is not a complete invention: it was assembled using various pieces of art from different sources. It is composed as follows:

• A 14th-century stone slab from one of the Della Scala family palaces, with decorative additions that echo its style;
• Molded shelves;
• Side elements in white marble and Avesa stone, added to complete the architecture of the balcony. This choice recalls the aesthetics of the 14th-century hanging sepulchres, a symbolic reference to the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet.

What is inside Juliet’s House?

Juliet’s House was originally a medieval casatorre, with the first records dating back to documents from 1351. Inside it was an inn called del Cappello, owned by the heirs of Antonio Cappello, as evidenced by the coat of arms depicting a hat, still visible today on the keystone of the archway overlooking the inner courtyard.

Precisely because of this coat of arms, the casatorre was mistakenly associated with the Capulet family, also mentioned in Dante Alighieri’s Purgatorio, a detail from which the legend of the Montagues and Capulets would later spread.

In 1939, the director of the civic museums, Antonio Avena, completed the creation of the house-museum, which grew increasingly popular after the Second World War, when the new director reorganised the museum itinerary within the building, placing numerous medieval works in rooms distributed across five levels, all waiting to be discovered.

What can be seen in Juliet’s House

Juliet’s House, accessible from 23 Via Cappello, consists of two buildings constructed in different periods and merged into a single complex, presumably in the 14th century, when work was carried out to unify the exterior and align the height.

The interior of the house

Inside Juliet’s House are several themed rooms, including:

• the Balcony Room: it houses numerous works of art dedicated to the Shakespearean tragedy, including the famous painting “The Last Kiss of Romeo and Juliet” by Francesco Hayez. The works on display date mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries;
• the Ballroom: characterised by a wooden floor and ceiling, as well as a red marble fireplace dating from the Renaissance, it features a copy of the Cappello family coat of arms;
• the Bedroom: reached through a gallery, it is decorated with two-tone medieval-style paintings and contains the bed designed by architect Lorenzo Mongiardino for Franco Zeffirelli’s film “Romeo and Juliet”.

These rooms, together with other decorations, furnishings, tapestries and architectural details, make Juliet’s House a historic and artistic symbol that continues to attract visitors from all over the world, fascinated by the interplay between reality and legend.

More interesting facts about Juliet’s House and the world’s most-touched statue

In addition to its architectural beauty and the emotion it arouses in visitors, Juliet’s House is also the guardian of traditions, controversial rituals and legends. Here are some interesting facts to know:

• The courtyard in front of the house is a real meeting place for lovers, where one can see numerous cards and letters left on the walls containing messages of love and wishes.
• There is a tradition associated with the love letters sent to Juliet. A group of volunteers, known as the Juliet Club, is responsible for reading and responding to the thousands of letters that arrive from all over the world, all addressed to the famous Shakespearean heroine.
• Inside the courtyard stands the famous statue of Juliet, a bronze work created by the sculptor Nereo Costantini. This statue has become a symbol of eternal love and every year attracts thousands of people, but also endless controversy. In fact, one of the most curious and widespread traditions consists of touching the breast of Juliet’s statue, so much so that it has earned the reputation of “the most touched statue in the world”. This practice has caused wear and tear to the bronze, especially on the right breast, which is touched daily by countless visitors. The ritual has deep roots in the symbolism of love and fertility, but it has also attracted criticism, as it risks reducing a cultural and literary symbol to a mere superstitious gesture.

Article translated by Agnese Giardini

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Curiosities

Travel

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