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Oh Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thy Marriage License?

The ultimate in romantic wedding travel might just have started up in Italy: the city of Verona will now let you get married on the balcony made famous by Romeo and Juliet.

Tourists have long been flocking to the Capello family mansion as it's believed that Shakespeare based the famous Capulets on these guys. But Verona's council have now made it possible for anyone to exchange vows and wedding rings up on the balcony.

Before you book your flights, you should know that romance don't come cheap. If you're an EU citizen the marriage license will cost you €700, and for those without an EU passport, be ready to shell out €900 ($1,280). You'd better be either rich or absolutely sure about your star-crossed lover.

Related Stories:
· Modern Romeos and Juliets Can Tie Knot in Verona [Reuters]
· Wedding Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: MaO]

Opera Travel / Culture Travel / Music Travel / Summer Travel / → All Tags

Summer Opera Travel: Verona Opera Festival

Tune up your tenor and soprano appreciation level a huge notch this summer with one of the world's most renowned opera festivals, the annual Verona Opera Festival in Italy's fairest city.

Kicking off this coming weekend, this year's festival (the 86th!) offers tons of live performances of amazing classics like Aida, Carmen and Tosca, but it's the setting that truly makes them magical. The entire festival is held in a sonically perfect 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater, the Arena di Verona.

Tickets to individual performances are sold through many online dealers, but check out one like Keith Prowse that offers packages for travelers that include both tickets to the major shows and decent local hotel rates, too.

An insider tip? Just like any other opera make sure you're on time for Act One. The locals apparently aren't friendly if you're cutting through the massive rows five minutes after start time. Feel free to BYOB though, concession stands are few and far between.

Related Stories:
· Datebook [NYT]
· Summer Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: andy_kyte_uk]