Contemporary “Romeo and Juliet” Restores Our Faith in Romance

By: Mia Williams | Published: Dec 29, 2022

It was instant chemistry at an unusual time of year. In 2020, when life was at its worst for everyone, a great love story was written. Michele and Paola, who share an apartment building in Verona, fell in love after Michele observed Paola on the balcony during quarantine.

What follows is the story of how Romeo finally won over Juliet and how their happily ever after is shaping up.

“Romeo And Juliet” Setting

Italy, the birthplace of Shakespeare’s renowned play “Romeo and Juliet,” also happens to be the city where Michele and Paola live. Even though they had never met, they spent the majority of their time there.

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Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

During the global coronavirus pandemic, residents locked themselves inside and entertained themselves by playing music and singing from their balconies.  The community that Michele and Paola belonged to did the same thing, and one night the contemporary Romeo spied the woman who would become his Juliet.

Music Leads Him To Paola

As for “hearing music,” that’s a claim made by some couples who’ve already gotten together. This actually happened to Paola and Michele, and it felt like something out of a movie. Paola’s sister decided to start performing a daily 6 p.m. concert to cheer up the residents in their complex.

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Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Michele was particularly taken with her performance of “We Are The Champions.” He was staring at her beautiful sister, Paola, while he watched her sister play. There was an instant attraction between the two.

The Love Spell

Paola lived on the sixth level, and Michele on the seventh level. They were in different buildings and were only 40 meters apart from one another. They could easily see each other and felt a pull toward one another almost immediately.

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Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Michele later told a newspaper reporter, “I was immediately struck by the beauty of this girl, by her smile. I had to get to know her.” Paola described the experience as “magical,” saying, “I immediately thought, ‘What a beautiful boy.'”

Social Distancing Separated Them

In March of that year, Michele and Paola finally had their fairytale moment together, just as coronavirus cases in Italy were at an all-time high. In fact, on March 21st, the country reported a total of 6,557 new cases.

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Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Because the country was in isolation mode, it was going to be extremely difficult for Michele to get the chance to talk to Paola.  Nevertheless, he certainly wanted to learn more about her.

The Sister Connection

Michele knew Lisa, Paola’s sister, before the pandemic. They had met because they worked out in the same gym. Maybe it was fate that he got to know Lisa, because that would be his way of getting to meet Paola.  

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Michele contacted Lisa, who gave him her sister’s name. He followed her on social media, but Lisa said that Paola was more active on Instagram. Although he didn’t have an account, Michele joined Instagram just to learn more about Paola. 

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Virtual Love Affair

After making eye contact with each other on the balcony, Michele and Paola immediately started chatting online. It seemed that they were never bored of talking, sometimes staying up all night on the phone. It didn’t take long before they fell in love.  

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Paola’s sister Lisa is also a musician, so the couple would occasionally ask her to play for them when they were online or on the phone together. They were both feeling romance, but they had yet to meet.

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Paola Dreaded Becoming Head Over Heels 

Fearing of having her hopes raised too quickly and then being disappointed, Paola tried to keep her cool. She was in her forties and had been hurt before. She worried that after they met, the romance would just cool down. 

@paola.agnelli80/Instagram

When he first messaged her, she stated, “I was happy, but I didn’t want to deceive myself.” They had only just met. Distance led to deep dialogues. Within a short amount of time, Paola learned they share “relationship-building” ideals. Then Michele did something to impress Paola.

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Michele ‘s Grand Gesture

Because of the physical separation between them, it was challenging to convey feelings to each other.    Michele was aware of Paola’s efforts to create a shield around herself to avoid being hurt. However, he felt it was important for her to understand that he was not fooling around.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

He first sent flowers but quickly realized that wasn’t a good enough gesture. He decided to put her name on a banner and display it prominently on the outside of his building.

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He’s a Recollection of Paola’s Grandfather

Paula was under the impression that Michelle was the perfect person for her. And the more time she spent talking to him, the more she noticed that he reminded her of her beloved late grandfather.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

In fact, Paola’s grandfather was also named Michele; fate works in mysterious ways. Michele embodied the “goodness of mind” and “principles” that her grandfather instilled in her during his lifetime.

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First Face To Face Meeting

With the social distance rules loosened, they were finally able to meet face to face. They’d known each other for over two months, but they were still nervous around each other.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

From the moment they had locked eyes on the balconies, they knew they were meant for each other. Michele also knew Paola’s sister, which made him more certain that Paola was the one. But online and telephone meetings are nothing compared to face-to-face encounters. 

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A Fairytale Moment

When Michele and Paola finally met for the first time, it was another one of those fairytale moments. After the date, Paola stated, “We were both nervous, but it went really well — he was just like I imagined he would be.”

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

She continued, saying that it was the beginning of their new, happy life together and something they’ll always remember. Since then, the two were inseparable, and their story has been a ray of hope in an otherwise gloomy year.

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“Paola” Sign In Chalk

Michele’s desire to publicly display his affection for Paola would drive him to do so even in the simplest of settings. Therefore, he drew her name using chalk on the sidewalk and placed a large heart at the top.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Paola was so enamored by it that she even uploaded an Instagram selfie in front of it. Following the progress of the couple’s relationship has become a popular pastime for her over 2,000 followers, especially now that they had actually met.

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Heart Back

Paola also felt the need to show her feelings for Michele, so she too wrote his nickname, “Miky,” on the pavement and placed a heart beneath his name.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

The artwork extends across a huge pathway, making it impossible for pedestrians to overlook. Their tale has captured the attention of everyone in the community. We are confident that the residents are excited since the fictional Romeo and Juliet actually lived in this area. Their uplifting narrative is exactly what a lot of people needed at the time.

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Birthday Celebration  

To have someone to share special occasions with is one of the greatest benefits of being in a relationship. Michele had never attended one of Paola’s birthday parties before this year. Paola’s mom joined in on the festivities, and there was even a fruit cake.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

The pair also organized an outdoor restaurant event so that Michele could meet Paula’s pals. She is an outgoing person, so spending time with her family and friends strengthened their relationship. And the family and friends of the couple loved them.

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Support From Family and Friends

Paola and Michele had only known each other for two months when, in July, they finally met each other’s families.

Source: Paola Agnelli/Facebook

All of Paola’s friends and family appear to be on board with the couple’s relationship, judging by the replies to the photos she posted on social media. The fact that they’ve strengthened each other’s networks is another piece of evidence that they’re a wonderful match.

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Goofing Around Together

The majority of Italian businesses reopened their doors in May of 2020. Italy was completely accessible to the public on June 3, 2020. This allowed Michele and Paola to spend more time outdoors that summer.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

They had a great time. On a sailboat at a waterpark, they struck a cute pose for the camera. When you can goof off and act like children together, you know you’ve found the one.

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Happy Times During Summer

The couple spent their summer boating, paddleboarding, and doing other water sports, and they made sure to record and relish every moment of it. There were plenty of photos to record their outings.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

Summertime love is the subject of many songs. The connection between Michele and Paola is akin to both a film and a song. There are songs about fall breakups that may exist, but not for this couple because their love seems to be destined to last forever.

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Making Wedding Prep!

Paola and Michele had taken their relationship to a whole new level. They had started making preparations for their wedding. Despite the fact that they preferred to take things slowly, it was abundantly evident from the post that Paola made on Facebook that their plans had been finalized.

Source: Paola Agnelli/Facebook

True, she stated in an interview that “Marriage is a significant thing, and you must never rush it.” On the other hand, Michele had previously expressed his desire to wed Paola, so the issue was simply one of logistics at this point.

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The "Real-Life Romeo and Juliet" in the Media

Michele’s relationship with Paola became public knowledge after he hung a sheet reading “Paola” from the roof of his building. Media giants like Yahoo and The  Washington Post continued to follow their tale.

Source: @paola.agnelli80/Instagram

The story’s uncanny similarities to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet contribute to its widespread acclaim. They spotted each other across Verona and instantly fell in love. The balcony is also a nice touch that evokes a sense of classic romance. Thankfully, this story has a satisfactory conclusion.

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Grandfather’s Last Present For Her 

In spite of the fact that Romeo and Juliet’s families were engaged in a dispute that had little to do with their own, Paola is under the impression that Michele was sent by her late grandfather to look after her.

Source: Paola Agnelli/Facebook

In an interview, she stated, “Many times, I think that it was he who sent me Michele, with the same name, the same kindness, the same sympathy, and intelligence.” They have their hearts set on having their wedding on a balcony, so you already knew that was coming, didn’t you?

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