Letters from Africa

Juliet Was Black?

Nigel Bruce

• 1 min read
Juliet Was Black?
Copy - in Shakespeare-Platz, Munich - of the original statue in Verona shown below.

It turns out that Othello wasn't Shakespeare's only African or Moorish character. Below is the official Juliet statue in Verona, by Italian sculptor Nereo Costantini, in 1972. Tourists love to rub her breast for some reason, which is why it is shiny. It has led to accusations that the statue is being sexually harassed. Who knew?

Photo: Anna luppi

At her worst, she has looked like the other Munich Juliet (there are two), shown below. This one is near the Marienplatz. All these Juliet statues have suffered damage from too much breast-rubbing. Why do people do this? Because it is supposed to help us be lucky in love.

Photo: Nan Palmero

Other notable figures whom people forget were Black: Alexandre Dumas, Alexander Pushkin and probably King Tut and Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence