Juliet Club has been made famous by the movie Letters to Juliet, but did you know that it actually exists? Keep reading to find out how to live a special experience in the name of love and writing.
If you’ve watched the movie ‘Letters to Juliet’, then you’ll know about this place. But what you may not know is that this club exists in real life, too! Each year thousands of people from all over the world write to Juliet to talk about their love life, and there’s a group of volunteers, known as Juliet’s secretaries, that make sure each and every letter gets answered.
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Where is Juliet Club?
Juliet Club is located in the heart of Verona historic center, on the ground floor of a pretty courtyard close to the Church of Sant’Anastasia. It’s easy to miss because it’s in a tiny alley with no big signs, so make sure you have a map with you.
Also, don’t expect to see the same spaces depicted in the movie. There are only one room and no trattoria next door, but the moment you step inside, you are surrounded by magic.
Letters from every corner of the world are piled everywhere and there’s an old cupboard that holds boxes of letters already sorted by language. Juliet’s secretaries sit at the big table at the center of the room armed with pen and paper, and the back wall is lined with rows of boxes where each letter is kept once it gets answered… a unique archive of love stories!
How to write to Juliet
If you are in Verona you can leave your letter in one of the red letterboxes located in Juliet’s House or at the Club itself. Alternatively, you can send the letter to the Club and don’t worry if you don’t remember the address – simply write “Juliet, Verona” and the letter will arrive. For real! And if you still prefer the keyboard to pen and paper, Juliet can be reached also via email at dearjuliet@julietclub.com.
Once the letters get to the club, the secretaries sort them by language and start writing back. Expect to wait about 2-3 months before getting a reply, though. Letters keep coming and the whole answering process takes some time.
The story of the Club
The story of Juliet Club goes back to the 1930s, when the guardian of Juliet’s tomb, Ettore Solimani, started to collect the letters left by visitors and to write back to them, thus becoming the first official secretary of Juliet. Today this fascinating tradition continues thanks to the Club, which was founded by Giulio Tamassia and a group of local intellectuals in 1972.
Nowadays there are about 50 volunteers from all around the world, who manage to answer about 300 letters per month.
Every year the club organizes the Cara Giulietta award for the best letters sent to Juliet and celebrates Juliet’s birthday in September. The Club is also very active during Verona in Love, a festival to celebrate love that usually takes place during the week of Valentine’s Day in February.
How to become one of Juliet’s secretaries
Juliet Club is always looking for help to answer the hundreds of letters arriving each month. Anyone can become a Juliet secretary, either for a day or for a longer period of time. There’s a specific section of the Juliet Club website dedicated to volunteers and anyone with a passion for Juliet’s story and writing letters is more than welcome. You can write an email to them and check their schedule.
If writing letters to strangers is not your cup of tea, you can still pay a visit to the club to learn about its history and meet the secretaries or book a guided tour that will take you through the key sites of Romeo and Juliet’s love story in Verona.
My experience as a secretary of Juliet
I first learned about the Juliet Club when I watched the movie Letters to Juliet and I’ve been wanting to visit it for years. During a recent trip to Verona, I finally managed to spend a few hours at the club to meet the secretaries and help reply to the letters.
I must admit that reading someone else’s inner thoughts felt a little weird at first. Some stories can be pretty sad and poignant, others make you smile. They are mostly written by teenagers who are lovesick or looking for, but I found also letters by mothers and men. Of course, you are not supposed to find solutions for them, but rather to offer advice and hope through words.
In a time when smartphones and social media have clearly changed the way we interact and communicate with each other, finding a place like this where people still write letters by hand to express their deep feelings and emotions is truly fascinating. So, what are you waiting for? Write your letter to Juliet – you’ll be answered:
JULIET CLUB
Vicolo Santa Cecilia, 9 – 37121 Verona
Until then,
38 Comments
I’ve never seen the film but I’m very intrigued to see it now. And what a fabulous project the club is. I’m sure many people have found hope and strength through both writing the letters and the replies. Verona is on my wish list and I’m even more keen to visit it now.
Reach out to them when planning your visit, it would e great to fit in a few hours as Juliet’s secretary 🙂
I am reluctant to admit, I had never heard of the movie Letters to Juliet. I guess it makes more sense to people that have watched it. The red letters boxes are so cute. Handwritten letters, and replies, are so romantic and sweet.
Yep, I loved browsing through all those letters full of love from all over the world!
I have seen the movie, but I didn’t realize that it was a real thing! It’s amazing that 50 people take the time to write 300 letters every month. I’m sure those letters mean a lot to those who receive them!
Oh yes Kristy, they do, and you can’t imagine the amount of letters I saw in that tiny office!
I’ll confess, I’ve never heard of the film before! Verona’s only a 30 minute drive from Vicenza and I love this city. Again, this concept of the Juliet Club is so new to me. I guess it taps into the age of writing letters to each other, and for that, I’m all on board. May have to visit the next time I’m back!
Oh yes, do it Lisa, I’m already planning to go back ahahah
Never heard of such a thing before. But TBH looks quite an interesting experience ,specially for those who have seen the movie Letters to Juliet.
I think the movie was a good way to shed light on the activities of this club, they are doing a fantastic job with all those letters
I never knew of Juliet club in Verona but it really intrigues me. Reading letters of visitors which are sad or happy must be interesting and hopefully, you could have answered many of them with interesting replies. Maybe someday I would write a letter to Juliet club.
Yay, do it! 🙂
Omg, I had no idea this was real or kind of real. I would love to visit this place one day and be a secretary at least for a few hours. Being a secretary must have been a very deep experience for you – going through all those letters and answering them in the best possible manner. It must mean so much to those that wrote those letters.
A truly unique experience under many points of view!
I watched this movie for several times I can’t remember how many, and I always find it beautiful. The movie also reminds me of my dream to visit Italy and also to visit the Verona. Maybe someday I could have an opportunity to take part of answering letters and maybe also gave answer and connect lost love.
Oh yes, do it! I’m sure you’ll love it! Verona is so beautiful and being Juliet’s secretary even for a short time is truly a fantastic experience
I haven’t seen the movie though I saw a few trailers. And, it’s pretty interesting to know of such a place. I am glad you got to work as the secretary for a couple of hours that’s sure to have been an enriching experience. Thanks for writing this post and also mentioning about Ettore Solimani.Would have never about these people otherwise! Informative and interesting post, Val 🙂
Aaw, thank so much!
Oh, this is lovely! I hope to see Verona when I go back to Italy, either this year or next year. I adore Italy!
That’s great, hope you have a great time in my country and do reach put if you need a hand with anything while planning 🙂
No way! That’s so cool that it’s real–and not just in the movie! 🙂
Yay, it’s great, isn’t it?
Ive never seen the movie and had absolutely no idea such a place existed! Thanks for sharing on this interesting place!
Thank you Caitlin, do watch the movie if you have a chance and you’ll get a feel for what I mean… 😉
I had never ever heard about this but I absolutely love this. My daughter is named Juliet and I have to admit that becoming a “secretary” for love letters to Juliet feels almost personal! What a fantastic post. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Nicole, I loved my (little) time as one of Juliet’s secretaries and can’t wait to go back!
I LOVE the movie! I can’t believe this is a real place…I would love to tour and volunteer to replay to letters. Thank you so much for the address.
Thank you Jordin, I hope you can visit Verona soon and experience this magic yourself!
I absolutely fell in love with Verona! Had no idea you can help the secretaries and get a unique experience in responding to writers. How beautiful!
Yep, it was a great find! 😀
Well, I have not seen the movie but what a cute concept! 50 volunteers around the world, acting as Juliet’s secretaries to reply to the 300 people/ month who’re writing to Juliet with their love life problems. Of course, it’ll take 2 – 3 months to for one to receive a reply, Juliet’s secretaries must be busy, haha! I really had no idea about the existence of this concept but I am truly intrigued.
It’s such a nice initiative Medha and I can’t wait to visit them again!
I’ve seen this movie and it’s great to find out that this place actually exists. I do not remember when I wrote a classic handwritten letter. I realized this when reading your article.
I know, right? We should do it more often!
Having written to Juliet myself and the visiting Verona, The Juliet Club and writing letters for Juliet has given me a huge respect for handwritten letters. I even send letters (not emails) to companies when I want to talk to them and 9 times out of 10, they reply as opposed to emails that get lost in inboxes.
I’m so happy to read this Martin, I love writing letters too and found this experience at the Juliet’s Club totally fascinating!
In my quest to promote The Juliet Club and hopefully find sponsors for them, I’ve finally managed to get the BBC to write a story about them:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49904433
This has lead to 2 radio interviews, one with a local radio station and the other with a BBC station in my home town:
https://youtu.be/qP6TPHBRcVc
This is awesome Martin!
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