Certain secrets of the Colosseum are too unsettling to include in the average travel brochure. There are myths that even had its architects afraid. Not everything is dark about this ancient landmark though. It’s got quite the redemption arc that isn’t covered the same way that the gore and bloodshed are. The Colosseum has managed to stay relevant for centuries because of the way it rolls through the years, collecting new uses and legends as it goes. Altogether, it has become one of Italy’s most bizarre landmarks.

Potential tourists should get to know the wilder side of the Colosseum’s history if they want to make the most of their visits. This list will cover all the facts that make the Colosseum more than an ordinary monument.

10 Criminals Forced To Perform Theater Before Execution

A lust for bloodshed and an appreciation for fine art are not mutually exclusive. For a lunchtime treat, the emperor had a criminal play the part of Orpheus at the Colosseum, explains Ancient.edu. The role isn’t too taxing until the end at which point the character is devoured by a bear.

9 Some Extinct Animals Were Last Seen Here

Hundreds of Carthaginian elephants were slaughtered in the Colosseum. The Smithsonian Magazine puts their extinction right around the same time as the Roman invasion of their homeland: North Africa. While other factors did contribute to the extinction of these elephants, gladiators certainly did more than their fair share of harm.

8 Rare Plants Found Nowhere Else Were Harvested By Occultists

Flowers native to lands as far away as Africa were found flourishing within the Colosseum’s walls, according to the Atlantic. Botanists still struggle to explain how these foreign plant species arrived in Italy. Local occultists are said to have collected them to make even more mysterious concoctions.

7 Audience Members Filled In If Things Went Wrong

In The Twelve Caesars, a historian recalls an event in which an audience member was called down to fight by a displeased emperor. The idea of watching other people fight is certainly thrilling. Knowing that you can quickly become one of the fighters puts those battles into a new light.

6 Demons Touched Down In The Arena

Buzz4Tours describes legends of medieval magicians who crept into the colosseum to perform their magic rituals. These magicians were necromancers, people known for communicating with the dead. They were believed to summon all sorts of spirits and souls to the mortal realm. All from the site of this Italian landmark.

5 Hidden Chambers Are Still Being Discovered Beneath The Floor

One of Rome’s most diabolical emperors, Nero, left remnants of his party palace scattered around the Colosseum. Uncovering its ruins both above and beneath the ground has taken centuries. CNN reported yet another discovery a little over a year ago. It was the intricately painted Sphinx Room.

4 Witches Used It As a Temple To Their Deities

Rome and Art describes a local legend which claimed that a pagan sect erected a temple to the powerful demon Beelzebub somewhere inside the colosseum. His followers were said to ask recruits “Do you love him?” at the initiation ceremony. A phrase that translates to “Colis eum?” in Latin.

Related: Spooky Places: 10 Destinations For Fans Of Witches

3 It's The Seventh Gate To The Underworld

These legends developed in the medieval era as the horrible bloodshed that took place in the Colosseum grew more distant and more frightening. According to Il Colosseo, people believed that the restless souls of gladiators remained trapped in the arena on an endless search for peace.

Related: 10 Places You Can Visit With Urban Legends

2 It Was A Sea From Time To Time

Amphitheaters were sometimes flooded to hold sea battles, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Some historians believe that such an event was once held in the Colosseum. If a fight between two gladiators in an arena sounds exciting, a war between warriors on a Mediterranean Sea miniature has to be exhilarating.

Related: Real-Life Ghost Ships: 10 Creepy Pics Of Sunken Wrecks From Around The World

1 It Lights Up Any Time Prisoners Escape Execution

The Guardian explains that the glowing goes on for 48 hours when a “convict is spared execution.” The abandonment of capital punishment nation or statewide sees the same acknowledgment. These lights have been turned on for Chile, the Philippines, and several American states. Last was Nebraska in 2015.

Next: Verona & 9 Other Gorgeous Italian Towns You Have To Visit