Before creating works such as Hamlet, Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet, and becoming the most famous playwright in the English language, William Shakespeare was a boy who grew up in Stratford-upon-Avona small town surrounded by the English countryside.
That environment, in the southeast of Birmingham, marked the beginning of one of the most relevant literary careers in history and the origin of the most famous playwright in the English language.
More than four centuries later, that landscape crossed by the Avon River still preserves much of the atmosphere that accompanied the writer’s early years, and allows the visitor to get closer not only to his work, but also to the universe that shaped his characters.
Stratford-upon-Avon: birthplace of literary genius
Stratford-upon-Avon is located in the county of Warwickshirein the West Midlands region of central England. Founded in the Middle Ages, it grew as a market town and, between the 15th and 16th centuries, prospered thanks to agricultural trade and its strategic location.
At that time, traditional style houses were built. Tudorwith wooden and plaster facades, which still characterize the urban landscape.
One of those houses went down in history for being the place where he was born in 1564. William Shakespeare. Son of the merchant John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon before achieving fame in London.
The landscapes and daily life of this town marked his imagination and laid the foundations for a work that would give life to some of the most famous characters in Western literature.
Preservation and legacy: Shakespeare’s home as a historical museum
After the death of the playwright, the house was passed on to his descendants until in 1847 it was acquired by the foundation Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Over the centuries, the house was preserved until it became the main museum dedicated to William Shakespeare.
Its rooms allow you to tour the home where they spent their first years and learn what daily life was like in 16th century England.
The tour includes the exhibition «Becoming Shakespeare», which combines images, audiovisual resources and fragments of the author’s work to reconstruct his life and show how Stratford-upon-Avon and the social context of the time influenced his formation, his identity and the development of his creative universe.
Stratford-upon-Avon today: a cultural epicenter
Far from being just a historical destination, Stratford-upon-Avon maintains an intense cultural life. Its center preserves numerous Tudor-style buildings, pedestrian streets, bookstores, cafes and shops inspired by the figure of Shakespeare.
A few meters from the birthplace stands the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, headquarters of the Royal Shakespeare Companywhere works by the playwright and others are performed every year authors classic and contemporary. The possibility of combining historical heritage with theatrical performances makes the city one of the main cultural destinations in England.
