Verona is one the greatest cities in Italy, very important both historically and culturally. Several Shakespeare plays are set there, and the balcony from Romeo and Juliet is always a major tourist draw (well, it's just any old balcony, really). The Lion of St.Marks can be seen throughout the city, attesting to the city's past as part of the Republic of Venice. There are many churches, monuments, and fortresses from various epochs, especially the Late Middle Ages, when the Scaliger family ruled Verona, but the greatest sight of them all is the arena, where nowadays operas are performed.