The city of Verona, a settlement in prehistoric times, became a Roman colony in the 1st century BC, and the city defenses were reinforced with gates and walls. Under the rule of the Scala family (1259-1397) the walls were rebuilt and the city prospered. This was also the period of Romeo and Juliet, whose story has been dramatised by Shakespeare. From 1405 till 1797 the city was part of the Republic of Venice, and in 1866 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.