The Mouth of Truth

Local nameBocca della Verità
LocationRipa, Rome, Italy

The heavy marble mask is located in the Cosmedin church in Rome. The original usage of the mask is unknown. In the 13th century, it was moved to the church where it is still located today.

The tradition is to put your hand into the mask's mouth and the legend says that if you are being insincere or not telling the truth, the mask will bite off your fingers. There is a scene in the iconic film Roman Holiday which depicts this tradition.

There are many replicas of the Mouth of the Truth scattered around the world (e.g. Las Vegas, San Francisco or Tokyo).

You can enter the church for free but for seeing the mask itself there is a €0.50 fee. Due to its popularity, there are often queues of tourists waiting to see the mask.

Tags SculptureLegendStatueHistoricalFilming LocationEditor's ChoiceArtwork
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Rome: Private Walking Tour with Gelato Tasting from 55 USD
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Admission

Free entry to the church, 2€ donation for the Mouth of Truth.

More information and contact

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocca_della_Verità

Official Website https://www.romasegreta.it/ripa/piazza-della-bocca-della-verita.html

Address Piazza della Bocca della Verità, 00186 Rome, Italy

Coordinates 41°53'17.724" N 12°28'53.558" E

Tours and activities: The Mouth of Truth

Rome: Private Walking Tour with Gelato Tasting

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Rome: Imperial History Guided E-Scooter Tour

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Rome: Vespa Scooter Night Tour with Pro Photographer

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from 92 USD

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