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The piazza della Bocca della Verità, one of the most picturesque squares in Rome, is notable for several reasons, both for its legend and its unique monumental ensemble, combining ancient ruins, medieval architecture, and later elements.
The Mouth of Truth
Bocca della Verità
Its name comes from the famous Bocca della Verità (“Mouth of Truth”), an ancient manhole cover carved in the shape of a face, located under the portico of the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It is a marble disk about 1.80 m in diameter weighing an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 kg, often attributed to representing the ocean titan Oceanus.
It may have served as a drainage cover for the Temple of Hercules Victor or as an outlet for the blood of cattle sacrifices.
According to a medieval Roman legend, it was used as a test during trials or to check fidelity. Indeed, this mouth would bite the hand of anyone who inserted it while telling a lie.
Heritage of the Square
Santa Maria in Cosmedin
The square hosts a remarkable architectural ensemble, including two exceptionally well-preserved ancient temples, an 18th-century Baroque fountain, and the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin, featuring an elegant 12th-century Romanesque bell tower.
The Tritons Fountain
The Tritons Fountain, a work by Carlo Bizzaccheri commissioned by Pope Clement XI in 1715, was made in travertine between 1715 and 1717, inspired by the Acqua Felice aqueduct and placed at the center of the redesigned square. It consists of an octagonal basin with concave sides, evoking the eight-pointed star of the Albani family, the papal heraldic symbol.
At the center, a small travertine “scogliera” sculpted by Filippo Bai, topped by two kneeling tritons with intertwined tails, works by Francesco Moratti, carrying a large shell serving as an upper basin, from which water gushes through a trimonzio. Originally, four mascarons decorated with papal arms fed the lower basin; they were removed in the 19th century due to water shortages. Later, a watering trough (fontanile) was added nearby for people and livestock, also supplied by the Acqua Felice, then relocated during the development of the Tiber riverbanks.
Its refined style contrasts harmoniously with the austerity of the surrounding ancient monuments.
The Forum Boarium and the Ancient Market
Located in the ancient Forum Boarium, a cattle market frequented since the founding of Rome, which became a major commercial center of ancient Rome near the river port and the Tiber Island.
The Temple of Hercules Victor, often called the “Round Temple” due to its circular shape, and the Temple of Portunus, dedicated to the god of ports, date from the 2nd century BC. These buildings, among the best preserved of Republican Rome, reflect the religious and economic role of the site, linked to trade and navigation. Nearby, the Arch of Janus, dating from the 4th century AD, enriches the archaeological landscape, as do the Arch of the Argentarii, the Broken Bridge, and the Forum Holitorium as well as the Tiber Island.
→ Also to read:
- the section dedicated to the Forum Boarium
- Visit to the Ripa district
- The church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin
Historical overview
The Piazza della Bocca della Verità is located at the heart of the former Forum Boarium, a strategic commercial crossroads between the river port of the Tiber Island and the Emporium, the large market of Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area became the center of a Greek colony, marked by strong Byzantine influence. Three Christian churches were built there, including Santa Maria in Cosmedin, constructed in the 6th century and enhanced in the 12th century with its Romanesque bell tower, one of the finest in Rome. In 1715, Pope Clement XI embellished the square with the Fountain of the Tritons, designed by Carlo Bizzaccheri.
Until 1868, the square also served as a place for executions by guillotine.
Map and address
Address : Piazza della Bocca della Verità, 00186 Roma RMIf you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.
- Boarium Forum in Rome
The Forum Boarium, located today on the famous Piazza della Bocca della Verità, was one of the major economic centers ...
