In a small storage room tucked under an archway in a quiet courtyard in Verona, Italy, a group of people are diligently writing letters. They are members of the Juliet Club, an organization that receives letters from the heartbroken people of the world who have no one to write to.
In a tradition spanning decades, the Juliet Club receives an estimated 50,000 letters every year – many addressed simply to “Juliet, Verona, Italy”. Whether a flourishing handwritten poem or a hastily-typed email, the club members are kept on their creative toes as they attempt to write a response to each letter or email in a corresponding format.
It’s a whole lot of work, but it’s absolutely worth it. Martin, an English member of the club, told the BBC that he’s partially responsible for a marriage after having persuaded a woman, who wrote to Juliet, to move across the world to be with her boyfriend. About a year later, the woman wrote a second letter to say the pair had gotten married.
Curious for a peek into the Juliet Club of Verona? Take a look right here.
