Sunday, March 24, 2024

The Mouth of Truth

 The Mouth of Truth

The Mouth of Truth, or Bocca della Verita

Inside the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church in Rome, you'll find the 2000 year old marble statue known as the "Mouth of Truth."  According to legend, if you put your hand inside the mouth of the Bocca della Verita and tell a lie, it will bite your hand off.  Some say that in medieval times, this Ancient Truth Detector was used as part of trials for thieves, etc.  The accused criminal would be forced to answer questions while his hand was in the mouth, and it was felt that he was more likely to be truthful under those circumstances.  Unbeknownst to them, someone was behind the giant marble statue with a sharp sword, and if they felt he was lying, they cut his hand off.  As far as anyone knows, the Mouth of Truth has never really bitten off the hand of anyone, lying or not.

Bocca della Verita weighs 2800 lbs and is an ancient mask that was believed to have been a drain cover in medieval times in the Temple of Hercules Victor, which is across the street from where the Mouth of Truth currently resides.  The Temple of Hercules Victor has an oculus similar to the one in the Pantheon, and so would have needed a drain underneath it for when it rains in Rome.  The area also used to be a cattle market in ancient times, so some believe it was used as a drain for blood when cows were slaughtered.  It was moved out of the Temple in the 13th century and placed in its current spot in the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church in the 17th century.  

Some believe it to be the face of the sea titan god Oceanus.  Historians can only make guesses, not much is really known about the ancient statue.  It was made famous by the movie "Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in 1953.  Here is the scene from the film featuring the Mouth of Truth:

Roman Holiday

In order to see the Mouth of Truth, you have to wait in line in the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church.  The cost to enter is free, although there is a donation box next to the Mouth of Truth, and a volunteer taking photos or videos for the people who have waited in line to put their hand in the mouth.  The wait in line isn't very long, only about ten minutes.  

waiting in line for the Mouth of Truth
while waiting in line, you can do some light reading...
Luckily my mom didn't lose her hand in the Mouth of Truth
and neither did I!
although it looks like he's got my whole arm!

After visiting the Mouth of Truth and coming away with both hands in tact, hopefully, visit the basilica also.  The skull of St. Valentine is on display there.

This is supposed to be the skull of Saint Valentine.  Portions of his remains are claimed to be at multiple churches, including at the Cathedral in Savona, Italy, and at a cathedral in Poland.




There is a gift shop in the church where I purchased a mini Mouth of Truth to bring home.  Getting to the Mouth of Truth is easy - take the Circo Massimo metro stop and walk 10 minutes to the Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

This is what the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church looks like. The people you see out front were waiting in line to see the Mouth of Truth, behind that gate in the portico.


This church was built in the 6th century


This fountain outside the church is called "Fountain of the Tritons" and was built in 1715

The Temple of Hercules Victor, where it's believed the Mouth of Truth originally laid.  This is across the street from the Mouth of Truth now.

The Temple of Hercules Victor is believed to be dated back to the 2nd century B.C. and is the only surviving sacred structure in ancient Rome that was made of Greek marble.  

The Tempio di Ercole Vincitore (Temple of Portunus) is next to the Temple of Hercules.  It was built in the 3rd or 4th century B.C.  You can see the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church in the background.

Both the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Portunus are gated so you can't go inside them.  The Mouth of Truth is a Must-See when in Rome!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Where to Stay in Italy

Where to Stay in Italy We have slept in hotels, Airbnb's, cruise ships, on trains (the overnight train from Rome to Palermo, which I tec...