La Bocca della Verita – The Mouth of Truth

The Bocca della Verita

The Rome audio-guided tour takes you to the Bocca della Verita, the famous Mouth of Truth, one of the most unusual curiosities of the city.

A stone mask and its legend

Under the portico of the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin hides one of the most famous statues of Rome: a large stone mask, sculpted with a face often likened to a sea god, whose mouth, nose and eyes are pierced. This slab, some two thousand years old, may have originally been a drain cover, due to its proximity to the Cloaca Maxima, the great Roman collector. But it is above all its legend that fascinates: it is said that the Mouth closes on the hand of anyone who dares to utter a lie before it. This belief inspired a memorable cinema scene, where the actor Gregory Peck pretends to lose his hand in it facing Audrey Hepburn. Still today, a small crowd of visitors plays along and slips a hand into the famous opening.

What there is to see

The Bocca della Verita intrigues with its large stone mask with a pierced face, under the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Between archaeological enigma and legend of the lie, it has become a playful and photogenic stage. It is an essential curiosity, popularised by cinema.

Practical information

The Bocca della Verita is under the portico of the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin, on the square of the same name, in Rome. It can be discovered according to the opening hours of the portico, with respect for the neighbouring place of worship; the crowds can be large.

What is the Bocca della Verita?

A large stone mask some two thousand years old, perhaps a former drain cover, under the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

What does the legend of the Mouth of Truth say?

That it closes on the hand of anyone who dares to lie before it, a belief taken up in cinema.