The spring clean will mean the house – which is the second most popular tourist attraction in Italy after the Vatican Museums and visited by millions – will be ready for it’s biggest day of the year Valentines Day.
Cleaners will use high powered houses, brushes and elbow grease to spruce up the walls of the 12th Century house where legend has it that William Shakespeare’s heroine Juliet lived in and where she was wooed by Romeo. Over the years visitors have scrawled messages of love on the walls covering every surface and have also used chewing gum to stick notes to the 800 year old plaster.
Three years ago in a bid to preserve the house a new system was introduced where people were encouraged to send messages of love by electronic means – email and sms texts – which were displayed on a screen. However traditionalist still preferred to leave their messages at the house in Verona the old fashioned way – city spokeswoman Giovanna Crippa, who is in charge of the clean up operation said: „We thought we were making it easier for them. But I suppose a certain element of romantic furtiveness was lost.
„The important thing is the House will be in pristine condition for Valentine’s Day, when the influx of visitors is bigger than normal.”
One of the notes, covered with hearts and arrows, reads: „My heart beats hard, my words tremble, but my feelings are strong. Just listen, my love.”
[You can read more about this on Daily Mail]