The "footballing" lion of Florence

In the Loggia dei Lanzi on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, you can find the most stunning set of Renaissance and Classical sculptures.

Although not the best, my favourites are the two lions - one Roman (this one) and the other a classical copy.

Which empire? - well in addition to the Roman, I suppose we should say the Medici empire, which even if not an empire with much territory, the Medici's controlled a financial empire stretching across Renaissance Europe.