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In the heart of Verona the walls in the small courtyard below the balcony of Juliet are filled with messages of love from visitors from all over the world. As the bride enters the courtyard she reflects on these messages and her own story of love before making her way into Juliet's house. As she arrives in the candle lit room she finds her groom waiting for her by the open fireplace filled with flowers. The couple are invited to sit facing their guests on two medieval style chairs which have been meticulously carved as they exchange their vows and declarations of love. After the ceremony, they couple head to the location where Romeo and Juliet first pronounced their love – the infamous balcony. As they look down into the cobbled courtyard the tourists cheer to celebrate their special day. With champagne and culinary delights served to friends and family, the guests look up to the happy couple and raise their glasses making a toast to their future health and happiness.

On the terrace the groom presents his bride with a personal hand engraved lovestone, the copy of which has become part of the paving on which they now stand to mark this special moment. The terrace overlooks the courtyard and Juliet’s balcony and the wedding party is privileged to have the privacy of such an important venue to enjoy their wedding breakfast after the crowds have left. After dinner and some light dancing under the moon lit sky, the couple retire to their room, which is situated in a hotel which shares Juliet’s courtyard. In the comfort of this luxurious hotel they couple relax on a four-poster bed and reflect on the magic of the day’s events.

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Literature of love

"There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish'd from the world,
And world's exile is death."

Shakespeare uses the enchanting city of Verona as the setting for one of his most famous plays Romeo and Juliet, and Verona in turn has paid homage to the great British playwright by taking this quote from the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet and engraving it on a plaque, positioned next to a bronze cast of the respected writer. As you pass through the entrance to the courtyard where Juliet’s balcony is positioned you will find the walls covered in declarations of love in many languages. This practice of graffiti is not permitted, and the walls are regularly painted however as soon as the paint is dry new proclamations appear as bold and as determined as ever. Some romantic couples have attached paper messages of love onto the walls or attach padlocks with their initials engraved on to the gate entering the courtyard.

People who would like to leave a permanent memorial to their love in this most romantic place can do so by writing a love message in stone which is then engraved into a paving stone and set into the terrace floor which overlooks the balcony. A statue of Juliet can be found in the courtyard and men and women of all ages and nationalities touch the right breast of Juliet to bring them good luck in future relationships. Young women take the opportunity to stand on the infamous balcony to play out in their head the moment of Juliet’s longing desires, as they look down on the crowd below they may even see their very own Romeo. Since the local council of Verona opened up the house to couples wanting to marry, many couples have taken the opportunity to exchange their vows and share their first kiss as man and wife in this most romantic and historical of settings.

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Verona's Arena

Verona’s story in history didn’t start with Romeo and Juliet and a stroll around this small city of just over 250,000 inhabitants will show the importance of this city in it's impressive architecture. Situated on the River Adige, Verona's history and it's influence over the centuries is easy to see, in particular the Romans who understood the importance of such a location. The Arena, is a large amphitheatre which originally stood outside the Roman walls, however over time as the importance of this strategic location grew, the city walls expanded and the Arena is now a central part of Verona. It stands impressively in Piazza Bra and is a solid reminder of the Roman era when this arena was used to entertain the masses with the courageous Roman gladiators. It has been extremely well–preserved, more so than its bigger and more famous sister the Coliseum in Rome. Today it is home to the annual opera season which runs from June to August and has also offered it's stage to other top performers in the world of pop such as Pink Floyd, Coldplay and Elton John.

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Historical beauty for a wedding setting

The Middle Ages also had a dramatic impact on the artistic composition of Verona. Although this period is generally recognised as a dark time in Europe where art and science somehow lost their path, it still managed to impact on the outstanding beauty and character of Verona that enchants the visitor and transports them back in time where castles were built to protect the city and loyalty and honour were valued. Two excellent examples of this period are Castel Vecchio close to the city centre and San Zeno church which is slightly further out of the city centre. These buildings offer a glimpse into life at this time and one can almost hear the chatter of commoners and bustle of medieval markets as you walk around them.

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Your wedding abroad with architecture and literature

Verona is often overlooked for more well known cities in Italy as a cultural location yet it is home to many spectacular churches, museums and piazzas, from different times in history. Although relatively small compared to other Italian cities there is no doubting the strong breath-taking impact Verona gives you when you enter this historical centre from any direction. With such amazing detail and design in the architecture, the vibrant frescoes half-faded from the sun telling stories of religion, the impressive columns worn from past wars, and the numerous lively piazza's, it is difficult not to feel part of the history of Verona and indeed fall in love with this magnificent city, which makes it an ideal setting for your dream wedding in Italy.

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If you are unsure about which wedding location to choose for your dream destination wedding then why not try our quiz on the homepage.

If you would like to see more about weddings in Verona please have a look at the Featured Venues page for more information.

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