The portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is home to an ancient slab of marble, popularly known as the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth). According to legend, it will bite off the hands of those who tell lies. The head, which has lobster-claws in its hair and dolphins in its beard, has been identified as Oceanus, the god of the underground river that was believed to encircle the world. The 'Mouth of Truth' played a star role in the movie Roman Holiday (1953). In the film Gregory Peck plays a prank on Audrey Hepburn by pretending to lose his hand in the mouth. Comments are closed.
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My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private walking tours of Rome.
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