The Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) is a great marble disc carved with the face of a bearded man, its eyes, nostrils and mouth hollowed out. Set in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, near the Tiber, it is one of Rome’s most curious monuments. Its original purpose is uncertain, though it may have been an ancient Roman drain cover; the face is often identified as Oceanus or another water deity.
The disc’s fame rests on a medieval legend: put your hand in its mouth and, if you tell a lie, it will bite your hand off. The story gained a new audience in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn played out the gag here. Visitors have been posing for the same photograph ever since.
It is a brief stop, but an appealing one, especially when paired with a look inside Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a medieval basilica with a tall Romanesque bell tower and a Greek-influenced history. The nearby Forum Boarium, Circus Maximus and Aventine Hill make this an easy place to add to a walk through ancient Rome.
Arrive early or later in the day to avoid the longest photo queues, and check current opening hours and entry arrangements before visiting. Dress respectfully if you plan to enter the church. Circo Massimo, on Metro Line B, is the nearest metro stop.