It seemed like Rome's Colosseum was more than just a gladiator's battlefield for the entertainment of the empire.
There's a new exhibition on the middle floor of the amphitheater that discusses the site's past of being a fortress, garden, stables, and workshop.
"The Colosseum: An Icon" opened on March 8 and will continue to run up to January 2018 to show people that the amphitheater had become many things after the fall of the Roman Empire in 523 AD. Lonely Planet has reported Francesco Prosperetti, one of the officials in charge of the structure, as saying: "What it shows is the extraordinary capacity the Colosseum has had to assume different identities over the centuries."
In the Middle Ages, the Frangipani family took hold of Rome's Colosseum in 1130 and made it a fortress to have strategic control of the Lateran Palace and the papal residence among many others. The family played a major role in the fight of Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
During the mid-13th century, the baronial Annibaldi family came to prominence and took the amphitheater from the Frangipani clan. It was also believed to be integrated into a hospital probably sponsored by the family or other wealthy clans.
According to The Malay Online, archaeologists have dug up a couple of rams' heads and carved antlers in the Colosseum dating back to the medieval times and made them think there were a couple of activities done by aristocratic families ranging from business to market gardens. The report also shared that the amphitheater almost looked like a botanical garden during 1600 because of its semi-abandoned state.
The exhibition also tackles about how the ancient site has inspired artists and poets to make artworks of the amphitheater. Currently, Rome's Colosseum is planning ways on how to lessen rowdy tourists defacing the structure and is looking for a new director in handling the site.
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