Legends, Verona

Verona has opened a museum at Juliet’s tomb to display the paintings and frescoes of local artists. For a fee of L5,000 ($3.00) a person can view these exhibits. Among the works of art are 16th, 17th, and 18th century examples taken from churches and buildings in Verona. Many of these paintings are repaired and placed here in order to preserve its history. One exhibit was the ornamental painting located in the archway of the Piazza dei Signori, famous for the location of the Della Scala mansion and also the duel scene of Romeo and Tybalt. Many of the paintings displayed are done by an artist named A. Busá. He has illustrated the scenes from Romeo and Juliet. Among them are the first meeting in the ballroom, the secret marriage ceremony, the duel between Romeo and Tybalt, Romeo returning from exile, the duel between Romeo and Paris at Juliet’s tomb, the death of Juliet, and the death of the two lovers.

The story of the two star-crossed lovers, a secret marriage, potions to simulate death, and a tragic ending has been the subject of writers for centuries. Claims of a basic plot can be found as early as the third century, however, the more detailed versions of did not appear until the fifteenth century. The legend of Romeo and Juliet slowly developed by the efforts of Luigi da Porto, Matteo Bandello and Arthur Brooke. However, it was, only in Shakespeare’s hands did the love story itself become the lyrical celebration of youthful passion that we all associate with the names of Romeo and Juliet today. Luigi da Porto published his version of Romeo and Juliet in 1530. The people of Verona credited him with 'the first to tell the story of the two unfortunate lovers'. They may acknowledge his story with such acceptance since he claimed Pellegrimo of Verona had the early fourteenth century chronicles from Bartolomes Della Scala showing the two unfortunate lovers as a true story. Porto’s claim of a factual account may have actually inspired the future writers to use Verona as the setting of Romeo and Juliet.