What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet? What country is this city in? What does this city look like today?

Verona is located in Northern Italy. It has a present-day population of around 250,000. It looks like many other Italian cities of that size--old, peaceful, quiet, picturesque. The buildings are mostly one- and two-stories with tile roofs. The colors are predominantly those of the white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Many of the streets are still paved with cobblestones. There is, of course, much sunshine. It is visited by many foreign tourists because of the city's association with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This play is known and loved all over the world because of its theme of young love and tragedy. Much of the play takes place outdoors in the midst of the city. It is warm, and the nights are beautiful and sultry. The air is scented with the flowers grown in window-boxes and gardens all over the Verona, tempting young people to stay up late, as Romeo and Juliet do in the famous balcony scene in Act 2, Scene 2.