Unlucky in love: statue of Shakespeare’s Juliet in Verona damaged by tourists

Visitors joining in tradition of touching the breast of the artwork to bring them fortune in relationships have worn a hole in it

Tourists in the northern Italian city of Verona have once again created a hole in the right breast of a statue of William Shakespeare’s heroine Juliet.

The bronze statue sits beneath the balcony in a tiny courtyard where Romeo is said to have wooed Juliet, attracting hundreds of visitors each day who flock there for a selfie and to touch the breast as part of a ritual that is believed to bring luck in love.