Under the porch of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, not far from the Colosseum, there is a large mask of marble, with the image of a River God. The mask, placed on site in 1632, is called Mouth of truth ( Bocca della  verità).

The sculpture, dating from around the first century, represents the face of a bearded man whose face, eyes, nose and mouth are hollow. The face has been interpreted over time as the reproduction of different things like Jupiter Ammon, the god of the Oceans, an oracle or a faun.

After the art, before the history, there’s the legend about a woman, the wife of a noble Roman, who was accused of treason and forced by the husband to put her hand into the mouth and if she answered with a lie her hand would be cut . In front of the sculpture, the crowd was waiting the verdict, when suddenly the true lover embraced and kissed the woman, who pretended not to know him and mistaking him for a madman. She swore that in her life she had kissed only 2 men, her husband and the madman that kissed her before. Of course the hand remained intact, with the great pleasure of the noble wife.

The mouth of truth has become a symbol of Rome, also thanks to  the film “Roman Holiday”, shot in the 50s, in a brief scene in which the 2 protagonists, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, want to show their feelings in front of the symbol  for excellence of what is the boundary between truth and falsehood.

Nowadays people visit the mouth of truth every day. Following the Roman tradition they put their hands into the mouth. Some of them are confident, while some others fear for a second this might be more than a superstition!

A visit to the mouth of truth is mandatory if you are in Rome. If you are planning your trip take a look at the websites of Yes Hotel and Hotel Des Artistes. Our great service and convenient rates are a solid truth!