The Mouth of Truth is a big marble face that probably represents the traits of the sea god Oceanus. It is located inside the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin church where many tourists queue every day to take a picture with their hand inside the opened mouth. In fact, legend says that the marble face would cut off liers’ hand. Most probably, it has been used as a cover for the oculus of the nearby Hercules Temple.
The Mouth of Truth appears even in the movie Roman Holidays and many copies have been rose up all over the world as symbolic items. If you go to visit it, take the chance to have a look inside the nice minor basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
