After watching hail hit my hotel window, I decided to have breakfast at my hotel and wait for the bad weather to pass. Today was the day that I would explore the rest of Verona.

Romeo and Juliet are the stars of Verona and seeing the famous balcony at Juliet’s home was on my list of things to do. The rain finally stopped, and the sun was beginning to shine as I walked through Piazza Bra and passed the Verona Arena.

I knew that visiting the balcony of Juliet was free, but I mistakenly asked about the home of Juliet and was told I needed to purchase a ticket. Because it was a bank holiday, the ticket office wouldn’t be open until 2pm. So, I headed to the other sights on my list.

The ***Funicolare di Castel S Pietro*** was a fun way to see beautiful Verona.

Inside the ***Castle of Saint Peter,*** at the top of the funicular, was a special exhibit titled, ***“Ilmio Purgatorio” by Dante.***

Dante was a famous Italian poet who is often credited with helping create the Italian language. He wrote one of his famous works, the Divine Comedy, in the Tuscan vernacular, rather than Latin.

Although the exhibit was free, you had to make a timed reservation online, which I didn’t know was needed. There were no openings for the day that I was at the castle, so I wasn’t able to see the exhibit.

Disappointed, but with plenty more to see, I headed to the Torre dei Lamberti which is a famous bell tower in Verona.

At the top of the tower were the famous bells. Luckily, I wasn’t up there long enough to hear them ring. They tell me that the sound is quite daunting.

After a wonderful salad at one of the outside restaurants, I decided to look for a church where I could say a rosary. Not far from the restaurant, I found a beautiful little chapel.

Before entering, I took a picture of the plaque so that I would know the name.

When I was writing this blog, I did a google translation of the sign. The sign translated means, ***“Holy Mass Times.”*** **Ugh!** I am sad to say that I never got the name of this beautiful chapel. If you’ve been to Verona and know the name of this chapel, please let me know in the comments below!

Finally, it was time to purchase my ticket for Juliet’s house. It wasn’t until I was on the line with my ticket in hand that I realized that it was free to visit the courtyard and the famous balcony. I really did not want to go inside the house. My goal was just to be in the courtyard and get a picture of the balcony. However, just as we were entering the courtyard, the sky opened, and a torrent of rain fell on all of us.

With my ticket in hand, I immediately took cover in Juliet’s house.

I enjoyed touring Juliet’s house and got some good pictures of the courtyard despite the rain.

The story of Romeo & Juliet is based on the life of two real lovers who lived and died in Verona, Italy in 1303. Although Romeo’s home is also in Verona, it is Juliet’s home and the famous balcony that everyone flocks to.

Shakespeare discovered the story of Romeo & Juliet in a poem by Arthur Brooke written in 1562. This poem inspired Shakespeare to write his famous work on the love story of these two young people from Verona.

***The famous balcony of Romeo & Juliet!***

At the beginning of the balcony scene, Romeo hides beneath Juliet’s balcony and overhears her talking about him. He eventually makes himself known. During their conversation, they declare their love for each other and set a date to meet the following day. It is on this day that Romeo promises to marry Juliet.

This is a classic love story that will be remembered for all time!

Before heading back to the hotel, I stopped by the Roman Theatre and the Arco dei Gavi.

The ***Roman Theatre of Verona*** is an ancient theatre not to be confused with the amphitheater known as the Verona Arena. This structure is much smaller than the Verona Arena and was built in the late first century BC.

***Arco dei Gavi -***

a historical landmark in Verona commissioned by the Gavi family in the beginning of the 1st century AD.

I visited the Ponte Scoligero and Castelvecchio on my first day in Verona while walking between each of the four basilicas and cathedrals.

It was a beautiful day in Verona. The weather did not deter any of my plans.

Important tip – Always pack a small umbrella in your suitcase. You never know when it will come in handy!

The next blog will feature a day trip from Verona, Italy.

HINT: The day trip was to a small town on a very large lake near the town of Verona. Let me know in the comments below if you can guess the name of the lake???