ROME — The House of Juliet — where, legend has it, Romeo wooed the young maiden under her balcony — will soon be used as a venue for weddings, city officials in Verona said.
The idea is part of a campaign by Verona, where William Shakespeare set his tale of star-crossed lovers, to foster its image as a romantic city.
Nonreligious weddings at the House of Juliet, as well as in another historical building in the city center that was previously unavailable, will be possible starting next month, when the last bureaucratic hurdle is cleared, said Daniele Polato, the city official who made the proposal.
The weddings can take place either inside the house or in the courtyard right below the famous balcony.
The 14th-century Casa di Giulietta, or House of Juliet, is one of the top tourist spots in a city that draws about 1.2 million people annually.
The building belonged to the Cappello family, traditionally identified with the Capulets, leading to the folklore that Shakespeare’s fictional character may have lived there.
The romanticism comes at a price: The tab for getting married at the House of Juliet ranges from euro600 (about $770) for Verona residents to euro1,000 ($1,280) for non-EU citizens not living in the northeastern Italian city.
The difference is because of the larger amount of documentation needed for nonresidents, officials said.
Eventually the city wants to expand the campaign into a full tourist “wedding package” that will include such expenses as hotel accommodation and flower arrangements.
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