On Location: Letters to Juliet

Here at the Due Torri Hotel Baglioni in historic old-town Verona, Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero sat with us to talk about their new movie, about a spunky young lady who helps an older woman find her true love--and finds her own in the process. We ventured around town and surrounds to check out where the movie was filmed. Buon giorno!

by Stacie Hougland

Casa de Giulietta, Verona

In the movie, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is captivated by the letters people post on a wall to the tragic Shakespeare character Juliet, asking her advice on everything from recognizing true love to rejection to changing their fate.

For the movie, production designer Stuart Wurtzel added a faux brick covering to make the wall look more "authentic."

This article's author, in front of the real-life wall with hundreds of notes and graffiti written to Juliet. Believe it or not, a group of volunteers answers each and every letter.

After entering the short arched hallway where the letters are posted, a small piazza opens up. According to legend, this is Juliet's balcony where she stood above her Romeo--but she most likely never lived here, if she existed at all.

The production had to jump through hoops to convince the city to allow filming to take place for two days, thus closing down their main tourist attraction.

Verona Arena

We stop for a shot in front of this 2,000-year-old arena, famous for its outdoor opera. In the film, Sophie is seen walking on the wide street in front of it.

Piazza del Campo, Siena

Here in this famous plaza, the production "stole" a quick shot of Sophie and Charlie crossing the public square. In Renaissance times, Siena rivaled Florence for its art and education.

The Borgo Scopeto Hotel, Siena Region

In the movie Sophie, Charlie (Chris Egan) and his grandmother Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) stay at a quaint Tuscan hotel for their daily excursions into the countryside, searching for Claire's long-lost love Lorenzo.

The hotel is a former centuries-old family estate. The production made this home base for most of their Italian shoot.

The hotel was where the production wrapped the Italian portion on August 13, 2009.

A pivotal scene between Charlie and Sophie takes place on the hotel's lawn, that ends up looking like....

...this.

Bryant Park, New York City

Sophie contemplates a letter from Claire back home in New York, sitting at one of the many tables around the carousel at Bryant Park...

...just like you might do in real life.

Villa Arvedi, Verona

This spectacular estate serves as the setting where Claire meets one of her many "Lorenzos."

Argiano Vineyards, Tuscany

Shooting was done all over Tuscany, including vineyards an hour south of Siena, where the Brunello wine is produced.

Finally, Claire meets her Lorenzo, after making an accidental stop at a winery on the way back to their hotel. "While you can re-create anything anywhere, being in Italy gets inside of you and it comes out in the performances and the colors of the earth and the buildings," says director Gary Winick. "There's nothing quite like it." From firsthand experience, we're inclined to agree.