Love letters #2

Love letters

Every single day, from 9 in the morning till the evening, the gate to Juliet's house are opened to an incessant passage of visitors. Many, many of them leave a love message on the walls of the entrance alley. This morning I passed just after nine and being fairly quiet, I thought I'd take a few pics. Here is one...

Souvenirs

Romeo & Juliet glasses, souvenir shop at Juliet's house.

The Myth - Marc Quinn

This morning I finally went to visit Il Mito, Marc Quinn's exhibition at Juliet's house. 

I wasn't allowed to take photographs and this was so frustrating! After my visit, though, I stepped up to a terrace (I will post about this in the next days) right in front of the famous balcony and there I snapped this photo where you can see at least a tiny bit: the marble sculpture of Thomas Beattie pregnant (interesenting story, he was a woman, became a man, then became pregnant) which is quite a striking one. The exhibition was stunning, displaying some of the most beautiful and famous artworks (including the solid gold "Siren", Kate Moss doing yoga, worth of $2.7 million), by Quinn, leading Young British Art fellow. Set against an outstanding medieval building with amazing fireplaces, frescoes and beautiful views over the rooftops.

And then I saw it. What? Remember when I posted about the Juliet's house's entrance hall and the Love graffitis? In that occasion I threw the idea of installing panels to exhibit later when they would be covered by names, hearts, poems of lovers from all over the world. Well, obviously Quinn and I had the same idea...he called the panel Love Paintings...  Aaaarghhh!!

Love debris

I seem to have opened up a discussion about graffitis. Although in my post yesterday I didn't condemn the graffitis, I want to point out that I truly hate to see horrible spray writings on buildings or anywhere, it is indeed such a lack of respect and here in town I see so many... sometimes I shiver, like when I approached the Arco dei Gavi, a huge roman white marble arch (like a smaller Arc de Triomphe in Paris) with graffiti on it...

But this is this is quite a peculiar phenomenon, grown on very unique basis and I think the municipality of Verona should do something more. People come from everywhere to see Juliet and sign their names. There is an organization that receives thousands of letters (like a love agony column...)and each one receives a reply, whatever the language. Certainly the town owes a big slice of the tourist income to Shakespeare, so, I think they don't want to be strict on the graffiti issue in this very place.

Although, I think they should handle it in a different way and I have my own idea. I would install removable panels and let the people write on them and eventually make a permanent exhibition in different indoors town sites, or sell them...a graffiti made by lovers from all over the world...

If you have other ideas, please let me know, I might present them to the Mair!

Erased love

Yesterday, as I was walking along Via Cappello when I saw a "different scene" inside the hallway that leads to the little courtyard of Juliet's house. Not the usual groups of people taking pictures marvelling at the sight of the famous balcony,  but this little scaffolding and two guys working on the hallway right wall.

They were scrubbing the graffiti after having removed a thick layer of tiny paper notes attached to the wall with a chewing-gum... (some people are civil enough to use tape or a post-it).

The hallway is so thick with lovers names and hearts that it oozes with love... 

Within a few days of work the walls will be cleaned and painted but they will remain immaculate only for a few hours and the graffiti process will start all over again.

 

Juliet's house and love messages

This place is surely the most visited spot in town. It's nonetheless than Juliet's house (and balcony, yes). Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet was set in Verona. Some hundreds meters from here there is Romeo's home (which is private. Wow, can you imagine saying I live in Romeo's house?!?!).
This little courtyard is incessantly crowded. Can you see the bronze statue of Juliet, a bit darkened by the leaves above her? People queue to go and touch Juliet's right breast, in fact it is so polished that it shines. The gesture is meant to bring good luck in love!

What you see on the left is the final part of the arched corridor that opens on Via Cappello. It may be five meters long and the walls are covered by felt tip names and hearts and dates... Being the walls a total thick graffiti, people started attaching notes to it. Worst thing is: they stick them with bubble gums! EEwwh! A permanent problem for the town council: how cope with this...issue. I think once in a while they paint them white and it all starts again...