Juliet Club in Verona: Letters to Juliet location really exists

Have you watched Letters to Juliet, dreaming of your visit to Italy? Well, then. Did you know that Juliet Club, Letters to Juliet location in Verona, really exists?

I was walking along Corso Sant’Anastasia in Verona. Since I was there to shoot photos, I was wandering around at a slow pace, noticing little details, worth a pic. That’s why I spotted it, even if it is located past a huge portal, at the end of the porch. The Juliet Club. How thrilling.

The rooms, however, are not the same of the movie. Less spacious. And no trattoria. At the entrance, just a table and some shelves. Four young girls were sitting at the table, focused on writing some letters. I specifically asked: Are you answering some letters on behalf of Juliet? No, they were writing their own Letters to Juliet. How cute!

I wandered around, spotting a Juliet costume, used on special occasion, such as Valentine’s Day, and, on the shelves, boxes with the writings: English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Portuguese. Some of them were inside former wine boxes of Amarone wine, the precious wine from the Valpolicella area, in the province of Verona.

There were also some souvenirs: necklaces, postcards, notebooks.

I reached for one of the club members in a rear room, and I asked for some info.

This tradition dates back to 1930, when Juliet’s Tomb keeper started to collect the letters left there by tourists. Moved, he began to answer. He signed as Juliet’s secretary. This name now designs the volunteers.

The proper Juliet Club was instituted in 1972.

Every year the Club organizes the Cara Giulietta (Dear Juliet) contest, awarding the nicest letters and also Juliet’s birthday (on September 16th). Why on this date? An academic studied the original novel of Romeo and Juliet (learn more on my Romeo and Juliet Castles post), finding out that she would have turned 18 on Saint Euphemia day. Therefore Juliet’s date of birth was pinpointed on September 16 1284.

Nowadays, about 50 volunteers from all around the world are Juliet’s secretaries, answering something like 10.000 out of the 60.000 letters a year. The majority are e-mail or via computerized desk (at Juliet’s House). Anyway, I saw that many traditional letters with this recipient address: Juliet, Verona (Italy). And they arrived!

I also had the chance to read some letters. I obviously won’t tell anything I read. Just, they were all kind letters, full of faith in life and love. I really hope that these persons who wrote can find what they’re looking for. Anyway, I also found a couple of letters where the person was just saying thanks to Juliet for finding the love of their lives, so it was pretty nice. Even if I must admit I did not feel so comfortable reading other people’s letters.

The lady told me not to be worried, though. The person writing know that Juliet can’t possibly answer, they know that there’s a team of girls who helps writing them back. So, no problem. Perhaps…

Once I went out, a bunch of people were snooping around. One of them exclaimed: Oh, that’s Juliet Club like in Letters to Juliet. So it actually exists! Wow! Who knows if the entrance is free… So I intruded and said yes, free entrance, you can go in and take a look.

I found it interesting and I think that love lovers should pay a visit to this peculiar place.

There is a place in Verona where people who suffer can leave a message to ask Juliet for help. (Letters to Juliet)