Love in the villa: the city of Hotel Colomba d’Oro between Netflix and reality

Thanks to Love in the villa, the new movie produced by Netflix and directed by Mark Steven Johnson which righ after being released immediately turned out to be among the most viewed, Verona once again enters households all around the world. Among the locals, romantic comedy is causing some controversies, because some details are pure fiction: are you wondering where is the most famous pastry shop in Italy for cannoli with ricotta? It is probably located in Sicily, certainly not in the city of the Hotel Colomba d’Oro! And the reckless car races through the alleys of the city of love? No, they are not allowed at all. As well as the stray cats, which in the film seem to populate the city, why? We don’t know, actually you will not find them on the streets of Verona! And if you are wondering how to rent an entire apartment in the 16th-century Villa overlooking Juliet’s Balcony, we regret to inform you that it is not possible because that Villa does not exist, it is fictionary.

What is 100% true in Love in the villa are the views and colors of the beautiful Verona: the film is not only set in the city of Romeo and Juliet, it was also actually shot here, and it shows authentic images of its secret corners, of its most popular tourist attractions, and some of its true peculiarities.

Before booking your romantic weekend in Verona why don’t you take a virtual tour with us to the movie locations, starting from the Hotel Colomba d ‘Oro, the four-star hotel closest to Verona’s Arena?

Imagine walking by the two main characters of the movie, Charlie and Julie (Tom Hopper and Kat Graham), on foot or by bicycle, to discover Verona.

1. PIAZZA BRA

Leaving the Colomba d’Oro, in less than a minute – literally a few steps – you can reach Piazza Bra, the square that houses the Arena: here Julie should have started the tour of the city if she hadn’t missed the sightseeing bus, also risking being run over by some scooters right in front of the Palazzo Della Gran Guardia (the main congress center downtown Verona).

2. PIAZZA ERBE

In a few minutes, walking along Via Mazzini, the main shopping street, or cycling along one of the secondary roads that run parallel to it, you reach Piazza Erbe, the other monumental square of the City. In this enchanted place, Charlie and Julie walk and chat up to the Fountain of Madonna Verona, a symbolic personification of the city itself, beloved by locals, built at the end of 1300 (just like the building that today houses the Hotel Colomba d’Oro ). Here, late in the evening, they throw a coin, so that Madonna Verona welcomes their most intimate dreams.

3. JULIET’S HOUSE

The central place of the whole comedy, the courtyard of Juliet’s House, is just a few steps away. From the Hotel Colomba d’Oro, you can reach it in less than ten minutes on foot, and in just two minutes by bike.

4. PONTE PIETRA

After visiting Juliet’s House, it is very easy to reach the Ponte Pietra (“Stone Bridge”), the oldest in the city and probably the most romantic, which in the film is shown in several aerial scenes: it is where Charlie and Julie walk eating gelato. The staff of the Colomba d’Oro Hotel will be glad to show you the way to this bridge in five minutes.

5. CASTEL SAN PIETRO

When you are having a good time time runs fastly, isn’t it? So fast that admiring the sunset over Verona from Castel San Pietro is also a mandatory stop for the two actors, who, chatting about destiny, come to talk about love in one of the most breathtaking and romantic viewpoints in the city.

6. JULIET’S TOMB

Was it a very long walk? Actually not: the romantic city of the Colomba d’Oro Hotel is nestled between the bends of the Adige River and the historic center it’s so easily walkable that you can see all the main monuments in one day. Not far from the Hotel Colomba d’Oro you also find Juliet’s Tomb, inside the gardens of the former convent of San Francesco al Corso, where Julie cries for her heartbreak in front of the uncovered sarcophagus in « Verona red » marble (which according to legend housed the mortal remains of the young Shakespearean heroine), right after refusing the ring.

If you want to reach Valpolicella or Lake Garda, as Charlie and Julie did, and visit some of the most renowned wineries in the world (the wine cellar shown in the film is in the Tommasi winery), a car is required (without cannoli and ricotta!) or, for the more sporty, a bicycle. Is there a more romantic and beautiful way to end a gourmet food and wine experience than admiring the sun slowly hiding behind the mountains above the largest lake in Italy? At the Colomba d’Oro reception, you can get smart tips for guided tours in Verona and its surroundings.

Now that the Netflix troupe has left Verona’s Arena and the surroundings, we are waiting for you: at the Colomba d’Oro, you will fall in love with the beauty of our city.