10 December 2006

lie detector

La Bocca della Verità (The Mouth of Truth) is a famous sculpted image of a human face in Rome. The sculpture is thought to be part of an ancient Roman fountain or perhaps a "manhole" cover, portraying a river god.
The most famous characteristic of the Mouth, however, is its capability of acting as a lie detector. Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if one told a lie with his hand in the mouth of the sculpture then it would be bitten off!

La bocca della Verità è il famoso mascherone rappresentate una divinità fluviale che si trova nell'atrio della chiesa di S.Maria in Cosmedin e la leggenda vuole che se si racconta una bugia con la mano dentro la bocca essa viene "tagliata"...

11 comments:

alice said...

Thank you for visiting my DP blog! Your photo makes me think to "Roman holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck...Ah, la douceur romaine...

Kate said...

Any casualties? How did you fare??

isa said...

I bet politicians stay away...

Lisi said...

like Alice, I first learnt of this "lie detector" from the movie Roman Holiday and lol with Isabella's comment!

Anonymous said...

Yes, this place is very famous.

Anonymous said...

That's funny. "Roman Holiday" was the first thing to come to my mind as well! Says something about that movie and that movie scene.

Anonymous said...

... and that "mask"!!

Merisi said...

Been there, done that. It was a very scary moment. After all, who knows what really lies in wait until you've done it. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I believe this is the first time I comment here. You are building up a nice photographic base about Rome.

Keep up the good work.

~tanty~ said...

Hi Joe!
Have you tried it?

Jing said...

:P
all know that famous movie.
i thought that scene too.
:))

jing
shanghai daily photo