February, 06 2020 ( Updated January, 13 2023)
Love that transcends age...
It’s no surprise to learn that the beautiful country of Italy has been the backdrop to some truly romantic love stories. The most famous from history have been immortalised in writing; making its protagonists the most famous Italian couples in the process!
Feel the love this month and read our favourite Italian love stories to plan your Valentine’s trip in Italy to the amazing settings of these eternal tales!
‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea.
My love as deep; the more I give to thee.
The more I have, for both are infinite.’
– A sonnet from ‘Rome & Juliet’, by William Shakespeare
Juliet’s bronze statue under her famous balcony in Verona
Perhaps your answer to “Who is the greatest couple of all time?” is in Shakespeare’s greatest play written between 1594-96. The backdrop for the world’s most romantic love story is set (of course) in ‘sweet Verona’, Italy, during the tumultuous times of bitter rivalry and vengeful feuds, where ‘two houses, both alike in dignity’ are made to confront each other by the pure love of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet.
If you’re staying on Lake Garda, enjoy the ultimate sightseeing day trip in Verona, which is just 35km away. You’ll be able to soak up the romantic tragedy within the city, as well as re-enact a balcony scene and even leave a love letter at Juliet’s House!
‘In that book, which is my memory,
On the first page that is the chapter,
When I first met you, appear the words,
Here begins a new life’.
- Excerpt from ‘La Vita Nuova’, Dante Alighieri
A romantic view of the Florence Duomo through old windows
Since the age of time, many have known the lonely depths of unrequited love. One of the most celebrated tales of ‘courtly love’ goes back to the Middle Ages. It is the love revered by Italian poet Dante Alighieri for his Florentine muse, Beatrice. His idealism of Beatrice has inspired artists and writers all over the world, including the pre-Raphaelite painter, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Who was Beatrice? Dante’s greatest love is believed to have been the Italian, Beatrice di Folco Portinari (1265 – 1290). Her family were bankers, and she herself was married at a young age to the banker Simone de' Bardi. Her beauty and virtues enraptured Dante at first sight, providing the catalyst to many of his greatest literary works, including ‘Vita Nuova’ (written to honour Beatrice after her death at just 25).
The young lady Beatrice also appears as one of the guides in the ‘La Divina Commedia’ (the Divine Comedy), during the Paradise tale, and in the last four stanzas of the Purgatory tale. The power she (unknowingly) held over Dante was truly divine, but being courtly love, it was never acted upon. Dante encountered Beatrice only a couple of times in his life, the first time at a May Day party as 9-year-old children and a second time 9 years later, passing by on a Florentine Street.
The stunningly detailed statue of Dante in Piazza Croce, Florence
She greeted him with such civility that he locked himself away and dreamt of a vivid encounter that would inspire some of his greatest literary works. Although both were married, these chance encounters left an impression of admiration so deep in Dante’s heart, that only her incredible warmth and ‘emerald eyes’ were enough for the rest of his life.
Want to visit the land that was once home to Dante, have a look at our holiday homes in Tuscany!
‘The heart tells me that we will meet again soon.
Of course, the heart, who listens to him,
always has something to say about what will be.
But what does the heart know? Just a little bit of what has already happened.’
– Excerpt from ‘The Betrothed’, Alessandro Manzoni
The eternal setting of Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, Lake Como
One of the most well-read historical novels in Italy is ‘I Promessi Sposi’ (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni (1785 – 1873). First published in 1842 but set during the 17th century, the story is about a betrothed couple Renzo and Lucia, who lives in a village near Lecco, on Lake Como–one of the finest examples of the intoxicating beauty of Italy!
Tip: Book one of the most romantic dates for St. Valentine's at Lake Como with our restaurant guide!
The epic tale sees the pair forcefully separated, only to overcome the odds to finally marry, having succeeded in a string of challenges along the way (from defying Don Rodrigo who wants Lucia for himself, to a kidnapping, a meeting with the disgruntled ‘nun of Monza’, famine, war and scenes of a plague-ridden Milan).
The visually captivating setting of lakeside Lecco
The famous tale of romance and endurance has even struck a chord with the Pope and Catholic Church, who back in 2015, advised engaged couples listening in St Peter’s square to read the famous novel, before embarking on the journey of marriage.
Plus, for literary fans travelling to Lake Como, reading this classic story and taking a trip to the local Villa Manzoni museum in Lecco is a must! Have a look at our holiday stays around Lake Como.
‘It was the hour that troubled the heart;
that hour in which, lacking the light, things and souls feel free…’
– Excerpt from The Little World of the Past by Antonio Fogazzaro
The unforgettable backdrop of Lake Lugano in winters
Set against the dramatic backdrop of Lake Lugano during the Austrian occupation, this turbulent story centres around the lives and minds of a head-strong young couple, Franco and Luisa. It is not just their opposing religious views they must overcome and work through, but also a disapproving wealthy grandmother, their paternal conflicts in raising their daughter Maria, temporary madness, rebellion and oh, heartbreaking tragedy.
Written by Italian novelist Antonio Fogazzaro (1842-1911), this classic tale is arguably Fogazzaro’s most famous work. If you’re travelling to Lake Lugano, why not pop in and visit the writer’s house museum, ‘Villa Fogazzaro Roi’, which is situated along the lakeshore in the timeless village of Oria?
Tip: Book a stay on Lake Lugano and enjoy its unique Swiss-Italian vibe!
‘I freeze and burn, love is bitter and sweet,
my sighs are tempests and my tears are floods,
I am in ecstasy and agony, I am possessed by memories of her
and I am in exile from myself’.
– Excerpt from ‘Canzoniere’, Francesco Petrarca
Statue of Laura de Noves, the inspiration behind Petrarca’s Canzoniere
The celebrated Italian writer, poet laureate and humanist Francesco Petrarca (1304 - 1374) immortalised his amorous feelings for Laura de Noves in his most celebrated work, Canzoniere, a vast collection of 366 poems dedicated to Laura. Like Dante, Petrarca fell in love at first sight with Laura, a young wife and mother at 15, who had been married just 2 years to Count Hugues de Sade when Petrarca first saw her.
By his own vivid recollection, the poet first encountered Laura in 1327, on April 6, in the Church of St Claire in Avignon, in the first hour of the day; and in the same city, in the same month, on the same 6th day at the same first hour in the year of 1348, Laura withdrew from life, while Petrarca was at Verona, unconscious of his loss.
The beautiful marble monument of Francesco Petrarca in Arezzo
Moved to put pen to paper, his greatest literary work Canzoniere celebrated his love for her. Being a virtuous wife, the writer’s advances were never reciprocated. This does not mean that he did not have her heart. Several years later, when Laura’s tomb was reopened by humanist Maurice Sceve, a lead box was found inside. It contained a medal with a woman ripping out her heart, and under it, a sonnet written by the one-and-only Petrarca!
Looking to celebrate Valentine’s in one of the most romantic countries in the world? Have a look at our diverse destinations and holiday homes in Italy!
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