(ANSA) - Verona, February 12 - Hundreds of love letters and keys to the popular 'lovelocks' have been found inside a bronze statue of Shakespeare's heroine Juliet in the northern city of Verona, artists said Thursday.
The statue, created by Nereo Costantini in 1969, was removed from its original location in the courtyard of 'Juliet's House' in February 2014 due to wear and tear after years of exposure to the elements and 'assaults' by the broken hearted and incurably romantic. Now artists who were tasked with restoring the statue and casting a copy to replace the original say many of these pilgrims in love had stuffed notes, letters and other items through the several cracks in the bronze, completely filling the space inside. The copy is now in place in the courtyard of Juliet's House in readiness for the expected influx of tourists to the city where Shakespeare set his tale of star-crossed lovers for St Valentine's Day on February 14.
The original is housed inside.
Verona Juliet statue stuffed full of love letters
Find made by artists tasked with recasting the worn bronze