La Casa di Giulietta di Antonio Avena. Quando l’architettura diventa coup de théatre

This paper will discuss the “restoration” of the so-called House of Juliet in Verona, which was influenced by Antonio Avena and was finally conducted between November 1939 and April 1941. The data from topographical, archaeological and archival sources, together with the historical guide books and postcards, reveal that, up until the 20th century, the location of Juliet’s House was understood to be the casa torre facing via Cappello. After a long series of proposed restoration projects dating back to the early 20th century, the restoration conducted by A. Avena created Juliet’s House as we know it today in the building facing the inner courtyard. Through the study of the archival sources, old photographs and the archaeological analysis of the facies of the building, it is possible to acquire an idea of how the restoration was made and the underlying ideas of the project. The restoration consisted in a combination of recycled fragments, “antiqua spolia”, and architectonical elements emulating ancient ones, in order to create an evocative pastiche. It was meant to recreate a medieval atmosphere and to create a backdrop to the Shakespearian drama.