Touching the breast of "Giulia" in Verona is said to bring good luck in love. If you want to get close to the famous sculpture or document the moment with a selfie, you now have to pay twelve euros.
For many tourists, a visit to the statue of Juliet is a must during a stay in Verona; it is considered a tradition to touch her right bronze breast - according to legend, this brings eternal happiness in love. Anyone looking for it now has to pay admission under the supposed balcony from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Tickets cost twelve euros until January 6.
The bronze figure, which is one of the most popular photo motifs in the city, was previously freely accessible, while only the neighboring museum charged admission. Now the courtyard in which the statue stands can only be entered with a museum ticket. The city administration justifies the short-term introduction of the fee with the high number of visitors during the Christmas period.
The statue of Juliet, a work by the Italian sculptor Nereo Costantini, has stood in the courtyard of the "Casa di Giulietta" since the 1970s. However, the original was moved inside the house in 2014 for reasons of protection and replaced by a copy. In general, the "House of Juliet" is more of a tourist construct: Juliet Capulet is a fictional character from Shakespeare's world-famous play "Romeo and Juliet" and not a historical person. The building once belonged to the dal Cappello family and was renovated at the beginning of the 20th century in the style of Shakespeare's house.
