Afterlife: 21st Century
The Colosseum as it is today.
Today, the Colosseum is the iconic image of the greatness of Rome's imperial past, and a marvel of Roman engineering. Having recently undergone a two year long restoration process of the Colosseum's exterior, there are now archaeological restoration projects occurring in the hypogeum and corridors.1 The Culture Minister of Italy along with the Italian Prime Minister hope that the newly restored Colosseum might be returned to its original function as an entertainment venue.2 Rather than sports, the Culture Minister hopes to integrate modern cultural events, such as theatre performances, into the ancient Roman monument.3 As recently as 2003, Paul McCartney held a charity concert inside the Colosseum,4 demonstrating its continuing usability in the modern era. Aside from live performances, part of the Colosseum's interior space now holds a gallery. In the fall of 2016 UNESCO sponsored an exhibit of "replicas of several masterpieces vandalized or destroyed in Syria and Iraq" that were recreated in Italy.5 One of the most impressive recreations is a 3-D printed, life-size replica of "an ancient statue of a human-headed winged bull" that originally "stood outside the palace at Nimrud in Iraq", once "the capital of the Assyrian empire".6 Even though its days of gladiatorial combat and animal hunts are over, the Colosseum is still a venue for spectacula (Latin for "spectacles") to this very day, whether that be rock concerts or art exhibits.
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1 Rosie Scammell, "Stage set for Colosseum to begin hosting events again after restoration," TheGuardian (2016).
2 Rosie Scammell, "Stage set for Colosseum to begin hosting events again after restoration," TheGuardian (2016).
3 Rosie Scammell, "Stage set for Colosseum to begin hosting events again after restoration," TheGuardian (2016).
4 Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard, The Colosseum (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005), 17.
5 Sylvia Poggioli, "Replicas Of Artifacts Destroyed By ISIS 'Rising From Destruction' In Rome," NPR (2016).
6 Sylvia Poggioli, "Replicas Of Artifacts Destroyed By ISIS 'Rising From Destruction' In Rome," NPR (2016).