"Mouth of Truth", or in Italian "Bocca della Verita", are located in Rome on the square of the same name. The sculpture is installed in the portico of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and is very popular with tourists.
The famous “Mouth of Truth” - in Italian “Bocca della Verità” - are, of course, in Rome. It has become a tradition for tourists to take pictures nearby. This artifact became especially popular thanks to the movie "Roman Holiday".
The story of Bocca della Verita
The Mouth of Truth is a huge round marble slab with the carved face of a pagan deity. Opinions differ as to what kind of deity is depicted. Perhaps this is one of the gods of water.
There is also no general opinion about what this slab with a diameter of 175 cm and weighing over a ton was used for. But scientists have determined the age of the sculpture. The Mouth of Truth was made in the 4th century BC. Most likely, this is a gutter hatch. Or - part of the fountain.
In the Middle Ages, the Mouth of Truth was placed vertically. Actually, it was then that they acquired their name, since they began to be used as a lie detector. There is a legend that the liar was brought to the Mouth of Truth and demanded that he put his hand in the opening in the form of a mouth. If a person was not a liar, then nothing threatened him. And the liar lost his hand.
They say the executioner stood on the other side of the stone slab. From time to time he cut off the hands dropped into the mouth of the sculpture. How he defined a liar, history is silent.
In the 17th century, the slab was installed in the portico of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Chiesa di Santa Maria in Cosmedin). There she is to this day.
How to find the Mouth of Truth
To find the Church of St. Mary in Cosmedin, you need to walk or drive to Piazza della Bocca della Verita. The church stands in the historic center of Rome, and the most famous monuments of the city are within walking distance from each other. Therefore, it is quite possible to plan a walking trip.
You can get to Piazza della Boca del Verita by buses 44, 95, 160, 170. If you take the metro, take the B line to the Circo Massimo station.
In Piazza della Boca del Verita, the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is easily recognizable by its seven-tiered openwork bell tower.
The mouth of truth stands in the portico of the church. The portico is fenced in with a grate, which is opened during the day. However, during the tourist season, there is usually a queue at the Mouth of Truth to be photographed at this famous sculpture.
