February 10, 2022
Strange isn’t it?
A big, red heart positioned at a tomb.
Let’s discover the reason why it is there.
Unlike today, until World War One the discourse surrounding Romeo and Juliet was not about Juliet’s Balcony. The must-see site was her tomb, located far from the buzz of the city center, in a charming and quiet location in the old convent of the Capuchin friars. Here many foreign travelers would come to connect with Juliet: among them some celebrities of the time, such as Lord Byron. Maria Luisa of Austria, second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte even wanted to take away a few fragments of Juliet’s sarcophagus to make jewels for herself!
In this meaningful location, in the year 2005, artist Piera Legnaghi was given the honor of exhibiting her giant iron sculpture Cuore Aperto. We interviewed Piera about the ideas behind this work of hers.
Piera’s trigger for creating the sculpture was rational geometry and balance of shapes: “Initially the mind controls the process, but then you have to let it go.” She started with the idea of openness. “Only later I realized that it was a heart. For me it is a heart that is open to the world.” Exactly the opposite of Romeo and Juliet: have you ever thought that the Capulets and the Montagues kept their hearts closed? Piera says: “only by keeping our hearts open, we can heal humanity.
You’ll see Piera’s art piece by joining our Valentine's day tour in Verona.
Piera is also a jewel creator. Should you want to celebrate a special moment in your life, her Open Heart ring and necklace are available for purchase.If you need our support, please write to us at info@veronatours.com
We wish that all of us are able to keep our heart open to the world…
Happy Valentine’s!
