The End of a Tragedy: Juliet’s Tomb, Verona, Italy

Most visitors to Verona searching for ties to Shakespeare’s play, probably only stop by Juliet’s Balcony. But there’s a far darker place connected to the story of Romeo and Juliet, one less visited; Juliet’s Tomb.

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Romeo and Juliet may be William Shakespeare’s most famous play. It’s certainly his most famous tragic romance. Not only has it become part of our cultural world, its influence real-world locations places, most notably in Verona where the play is set.

Interestingly, Shakespeare never setting foot in Verona. As with his other works, there was a certain amount of “influence” from other, earlier works that helped him to form his story. And some links to reality too, with Dante’s Divine Comedy mentioning “Montagues” and “Capulets”.

The influence of the play has meant Verona has become a place many visit and of course, some have made the most of this by incorporating this fictional tale, into real-world places. The most popular of these is Juliet’s Balcony, but a twenty-minute or so walk away lies Juliet’s tomb and Frescoes Museum.

So how did this place get linked to Shakespeare’s play? In the final act when “dead” Juliet is lying waiting for Romeo to join her, the setting is a monastery outside of Verona. At the time, San Francesco al Corso was the only Franciscan monastery that fit this criteria. The tomb and museum are now found in what was once this convent.

It’s easy to imagine the final scenes between Juliet and her Romeo being set in this cold sheltered place. A bust of Shakespeare can be found outside the museum, and there are engraved lines from the play around the place.

A wall next to one of the ways down into the tomb has been marked by many visitors over the years.

The rest of the museum has a variety of mainly religious frescoes and works of art. These are probably less interesting to those focused on the famous tragedy but are worth a look nevertheless. Juliet’s Balcony can be horrifically busy whereas the tomb was, if you’ll excuse the expression, as quiet as the grave. It’s got a nice courtyard garden and is cool in the heat of the day. If you’re in Verona, and are interested in Shakespeare or anything literary it’s worth a look. And if you get the Verona Card it’s included in the price.