In Via Cappello, people queue to get into the inner courtyard of a building. Here sits the legendary balcony that is said to have inspired Shakespeare’s drama. Published in 1597, the love story of Romeo & Juliet has lost none of its topicality and popularity, and Claire Danes and Leonardo Di Caprio have even played the unhappy couple on the big screen.

In Verona’s city center, couples and families crowd in front ofJulia’s supposed balcony. They empathize with the story, whisper declarations of love and vows in each other’s ears. They kiss, pose for photos, have tears in their eyes and leave eternal messages on the wall.

A magic emanates from this balcony, even a spell. This is the ingenious work of a master of real estate dramatization. In fact, the balcony was only installed here in the 1930s, almost 350 years after the novel was published. What’s more, the balcony was made from fragments of a sarcophagus. Death suits the story. And this history suits the building. Through this assemblage, the walls of a former inn and stable were placed in the context of world literature and became a place of pilgrimage.

Chapeau, créateur! Millions of visitors follow your call to the city. Julia’s Balcony is an excellent example of successful real estate dramatization and the workings of enchanting storytelling. Of course, there are historical set pieces that reveal subtle traces between the romance novel and the house of the dal Capello family. However, the great impact of the dramatization unfolds through the people who want to believe in the magic.