Mouth of Truth
Bocca della Verità (Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin)
The Roman Holiday scene: queue, then one hand in
⚠ Closed 13:00–14:00
- Hours
- Daily 09:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:50 (follows the church schedule; closed 1 Jan)
- Tickets
- Free
- Address
- On the left wall of the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin; the Temple of Hercules stands across the square
A marble face 1.5 metres across that is said to bite the hand of a liar. It was most likely an ancient Roman drain cover, but ever since Gregory Peck stuck his hand in and screamed in Roman Holiday, the queue has never stopped. It sits behind the gate of the church porch; when your turn comes, an attendant snaps one photo and waves the next person on. You wait far longer than the minute you get, but everyone queues for that minute.