The Romeo and Juliet castles: the story behind Montecchio’s towers

Everyone knows Romeo and Juliet are from Verona. Fewer people know that the story was first told in full by a writer from Vicenza, who lived within sight of two castles on a hill above Montecchio Maggiore. Here is how the castles got their names.

The castles

The hill above Montecchio was fortified long before Romeo and Juliet. In the 14th century the Scaligeri, the della Scala lords of Verona, rebuilt two castles there to guard the road between Verona and Vicenza: the larger Castello della Villa and the smaller Castello di Bellaguardia. In the wars of the early 1500s they were badly damaged, and for centuries they stood as ruins on the skyline. They were restored in the 20th century.

Luigi da Porto

Luigi da Porto was a nobleman and soldier from Vicenza. After he was badly wounded in battle, he retired to his family’s country house at Montorso, a few kilometres from Montecchio, and wrote a short novella about two young lovers from rival families in Verona. It was published around 1530, shortly after his death. He named the families Montecchi and Cappelletti, names that the poet Dante had already used for feuding families more than two centuries earlier.

From the hill to the stage

Local tradition says that da Porto looked out at the two castles facing each other on the ridge and imagined them as the homes of the two families. There is no proof, but the name of the town, the view and the writer’s home make the story easy to believe. Later writers retold his tale, and an English poem based on those versions became the main source for Shakespeare’s play, written in the 1590s.

Romeo’s Castle and Juliet’s Castle

Today the larger Castello della Villa is known as Romeo’s Castle, and the smaller Bellaguardia as Juliet’s Castle. Both can be reached on foot from the town, and the walk between them along the ridge takes only a few minutes.

Verona’s side of the story

In Verona, a medieval house with a courtyard and balcony became known as Juliet’s House, and the balcony itself was added in the 20th century. It is one of the most visited places in the city. Seeing both the castles and the balcony makes a fine two-day trip; read our guide to Verona and Lake Garda day trips.

Tips

• Visit the castles at sunset, when the towers glow and the plain spreads out below.
• Look for summer events at the castles, which sometimes include theatre.
• Montorso Vicentino, where da Porto lived, is a short drive away.