Letters to Juliet

Following a movie trail through Italy's romantic heart.

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WHERE DO YOU THINK I should go this time? I don't really want to do the touristy stuff," I said to my friend as we devoured a delicious pizza.

"Have you watched Letters to Juliet?" she asked.

I was clueless, but intrigued. I'm a sucker for stories of long-lost love reuniting—and of course, a good rom-com to go with my pizza.

An Invitation

The 2010 film was an invitation to a secret, whimsical world in Verona (visitverona.it)—a world of handwritten letters and second chances. By the time Amanda Seyfried’s character discovered the wall of letters, my travel plans were made. Verona was now a nonnegotiable part of my Italian odyssey.

As I stepped off the train at Porta Nuova Station in Verona, it felt entirely different from the grand chaos of Milan or the winding mystery of Venice. This was a honey-hued city, quiet yet steeped in centuries of love and tragedy—as if Shakespeare's words still lingered in its alleyways.

My checklist was simple: find Juliet’s House, see the balcony, write my letter. I felt a sense of purpose. A justification, even, for indulging in something so overtly romantic. It was a quest—a story I could tell my grandkids one day.

The First Encounter

The path to Casa di Giulietta was a narrow cobblestone alley that opened into a small, bustling courtyard. Throngs of visitors were already there—a mix of giggling couples and curious families.