A statue of Juliet in Verona has a hole in her chest

The famous statue of Juliet in the northern Italian city of Verona under the balcony of Shakespeare's classic “Romeo and Juliet” has become a victim of mass tourism: the bronze female figure's right breast has been frequently visited by visitors in recent years. Now that there is a small hole.

At one point, touching Julia's breasts became a tradition in the courtyard – because it guarantees eternal happiness in love. Some days tourists queue up to lend a hand. It's unclear whether the damage can be repaired: the statue will likely have to be replaced because of all the care it takes.

The figure – the work of Italian sculptor Nerio Costantini – has stood under the balcony since the 1970s. However, the already somewhat worn original was brought indoors for safekeeping in 2014 and replaced with a copy in the courtyard. Practically all, however, have been found and reproduced in the “Casa di Giulietta” (“Juliet's house”) at Cappello 23 in Verona. A Julia Capulet never lived there. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of tourists flock there every year to witness the setting of one of the most famous romantic scenes in world literature.

The house belonged to the Capello family for centuries, but has since fallen into disrepair. In 1935, the city bought it and renovated everything to promote tourism. The most famous balcony in world literature was added later: in fact, it was a sarcophagus discovered during excavations in Verona. There are countless vows of love on the walls of the house. In addition, many places have palaces with the names of lovers from all over the world.