Persecutions of Christians occurred in the Roman Empire over a period of more than two centuries. However, Christian executions took place in other amphitheatres. While today the idea that the Colosseum was the place where many early Christians were persecuted has been disputed and is no longer accepted by historians, during the Renaissance the amphitheatre started to become a memorial site for the Christians who had lost their lives in the early days of the faith. Pope Benedict XIV had a cross erected inside the Colosseum in 1744. The cross, which can still be seen today, was re-installed in 1926.