European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                In search of Romeo and 1 a printing of the two famous lovers hangs in the Garden near Juliet Julies is in the Middle of an apartment housing a visitor stands on Julies it is the original hardluck love the theme has been appropriated countless times by writers and poets for Over four Hollywood film moguls have churned out numerous movie it goes like this boy meets boy and girl fall in love and want to get everything is peachy until their families get involved and screw it All boy and girl Are so steamed that they kill do you have it yet of were talking about Romeo and the Saga of the Star crossed lovers with inlaw problems of epic the set in the City of has been a favorite of lovers the world Over for hundreds of and Verona is still reaping rewards from the each Juliet As Well As her Tomb and the House of draw thousands of tourists like bees to despite All of Veronas other the fact remains that you cant say youve really seen the City until youve hit the Juliet House is on via Cappello near the Piazza a Large archway leads to a and up on the Wall to the right is the Balcony where Juliet did her famous wherefore Art thou while Romeo rustled around in the Bushes asking himself the eternal what Light through yonder window Breaks you too can go up on the Balcony and croon to your own True if you can handle the critics the courtyard is always crowded with tourists eager for a melodramatic Balcony below the right near the souvenir is a statue of Juliet the House is with several floors and Many but theres nothing in the Are covered with hear shaped drawings stating Giorgio e Maria and thousands of similar add the names of you and your beloved if you can do it without anyone seeing Romeos House is Likely to come As a big it sits on via Marche Scaligeri it might have once been the House of Romeos the wealthy and powerful but now its just another beat up Coffee bar filled with old Veronese men sipping Juliet Tomb is in the Middle of at via Del just around the Corner from via Shakespeare the setting is hardly romantic the Small Church and Cloisters Are surrounded by apartment the Entrance opens up onto a Small to the right is a painting of the two clinging to each other in and a bust of in the Garden is a wishing Well with what seems to be a Small Fortune in its past the Down a Short flight of is the Tomb a Plain Stone slab with no not its common to find Flowers on the so is it All just a Hustle by Veronese tourist officials yes and no one seems to have any idea exactly How the houses of Romeo and Juliet and her Tomb became so and there is no evidence at All to support the incidents of the but although the details Are muddled and there is a possibility that the basis of the Story is rooted in there actually were two powerful families named Montecchi and or Montague and Capulet the families of Romeo and Juliet who lived in Verona about the time the Story is supposed to have taken in As in the the two families carried out a feud worthy of the hat Fields and supposedly because the montages supported the Pope while the caplets stood behind emperor Frederick in the poet Dante mentions both families by name in one of his the origins of the Story Are Well Luigi a a native of Venice and a recounts that during a trip to Friuli one of his a Pellegrino a told the Story of two tragic lovers that he had Learned from some old from Pellegrinon a Porto wrote what would eventually become Romeo and the Story was published in Venice in two years after a Porto Over the As Many As a Hal dozen and probably More variations of the Story in English and italian it want until about 1595 that William Shakespeare stepped into the picture and sent the tale on its Long running although fans of his will be theres no doubt that the Bard lifted the tale from one of the Many other the characters Are and the three shrines Are probably just tributes to the foresight and imagination of the City tourist but does that matter As Long As people come to stand on Juliet sip Coffee in Romeos and Lay Flowers on Juliet the Story lives and Verona is Richer for Juliet House and her Tomb Are open tuesday through theres a lire charge about to get into there is no charge to visit Romeos unless you decide to plunk Down some change for a pastry and if you poke around in the larger bookstores in you can find a thin volume by Tullio available in which gives More background information on the Story than you could Ever its known As the Vita Veronese edition of Romeo and Juliet and it Sells for lire about Chuck Vinch May stripes Magazine 9