The ancient arena was bathed in white light from a special run of electricity through the world's most famous arena out of an agreement with an international lay Catholic group, The Community of Sant'Egidio, which advocates ending the death penalty worldwide.

The Colosseum, a site of executions and gladiator contests during the Roman Empire, has emerged as a symbol in organized campaigns against capital punishment. It has received the golden treatment -- its regular lighting is white -- about 20 times since 1999, most recently last month after a committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions, said Mario Marazziti, a spokesman for Sant'Egidio.