Italian weddings at "Juliet's House" and real Renaissance weddings too

March 13, 11:20 PMWedding and Marriage ExaminerElizabeth Oakes

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  Now that I think about it, that Juliet really was a bit of a drama queen.

A14th-century house in Verona, Italy known as the “House of Juliet” may be offered for weddings as early as next month if a proposal by Veronese city official Daniele Polato is approved. 

Local legend links the home to Shakespeare’s doomed lover Juliet Capulet, and Polato would like to enhance Verona’s tourist traffic by making the house available for local and destination weddings.  “We have inherited this splendid reputation and we want to promote it,” says Polato.

Which makes me wonder: has Polato actually read “Romeo and Juliet”?  I mean, it’s romantic and all, but not really a good omen for happy weddings and blissful, long-lasting marriages.  In fact, I seem to recall it ends with a bloodbath and a lot of crying, guilt, and shame (okay, and an apology too, but hardly compensation for the freakin' mess.) The site underneath Juliet's famous balcony might be great for a hot date, but an auspicious wedding location?  Maybe not so much.  

Shakespeare fans determined to marry in Italy might be better off getting hitched in Padua, the setting for “The Taming of the Shrew."  Yeah, yeah, feminists won’t approve, but at least “Shrew” doesn’t end with a massive body count and a couplet about “woe.”   (Whoops...um, SPOILER ALERT!  Sorry.)

If you're big on symbolism and literature and all that, just read any pertinent materials before you make your travel plans. Same goes for Shakespeareans who want to get married in Venice...or Scotland....or anywhere, really.  Read the book before you book, that's our motto.

Meanwhile, over in real-life Renaissance Florence (geographically and historically right next door to Shakepeare's fictionalized Verona) expensive and luxurious wedding chests called “cassoni” were being commissioned by wealthy husbands as gifts for their youthful brides.  A beautifully preserved pair of these chests and several panels feature in an exhibit at the Courtauld Gallery in London called, “Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence: The Courtauld Wedding Chests.”

This exhibit gives a more realistic view of Italian Renaissance weddings, at least weddings for the social elite; they were mostly about consolidating political and economic power by creating family alliances via marriage, and artworks extolling the virtues of fidelity and family loyalty were often part of the exchange.  You can read more about the historical and artistic significance of Italian cassoni here, and read all the Shakespeare you want here.  You may not find any viable wedding planning ideas, but at least you'll have a chance to immerse yourself in a little culture that's not the kind in your morning yogurt.

For those who’d like to plan Renaissance or medieval nuptials a little closer to home, check out Renaissance Magazine’s wedding issue--chock full of ideas for music, favors, Renaissance festival locations around the country, and maybe you'll find that shiny formal armor you’ve always wanted--huzzah!  As any period-recreation fan will tell you: there's more than one way of making history, and you save a lot on airfare (not to mention time-travel.)

Until next time, a sweet and long life to you all (singing "hey ding-a-ding, sweet lovers love the spring!")

National Wedding and Marriage Examiner Elizabeth Oakes welcomes your feedback at weddingexaminer@gmail.com; you can easily share this story or subscribe by clicking on the buttons at the top of this column, or read more of Elizabeth's stories by clicking here.  

She's also happy to answer your questions about getting married in Los Angeles--check out her work and inquire about availability at MarriageToGo.Com.