Mouth of Truth: opening hours, donation and queue

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) is a large marble disc carved with a bearded face, set since 1632 in the portico of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Piazza della Bocca della Verità 18. Legend says it bites the hand of liars, and the scene in Roman Holiday (1953) with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck turned it into one of the most requested photos in Rome. The portico is open every day from 9:30am to 5:50pm: you queue outside, put your hand in for a few seconds, then enter the basilica for free. Allow 15 to 45 minutes depending on the crowds, then keep some time for the two ancient temples of the Forum Boarium, just opposite.

Highlights

Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Founded in the 6th century and enlarged by Pope Adrian I in the 8th century, the basilica is today the church of Rome's Melkite Greek Catholic community. Its 12th-century Romanesque bell tower, 34 metres high, towers over the square. Inside, admission is free: a Cosmatesque floor, a Gothic ciborium of 1294 signed by Deodato di Cosma, and a reliquary presented as the skull of Saint Valentine.

The Temple of Hercules Victor

Across the square, this round temple ringed by twenty columns dates from the late 2nd century BC; it is the oldest surviving marble building in Rome. You view it from the outside, from the lawn and the railing around it.

The Temple of Portunus

Right next to it, this rectangular temple with Ionic columns was dedicated to the god of harbours: the Forum Boarium was ancient Rome's river port and cattle market, on the bank of the Tiber. Together with the Temple of Hercules, it is one of the two best-preserved Republican-era temples in the city.

The Mouth itself

The disc measures about 1.75 metres across and weighs nearly 1,300 kg. It dates from the Imperial era and probably depicts a deity (Oceanus, a faun or a river god); the pierced eyes, nose and mouth suggest a drain cover or part of a fountain. You can glimpse it through the gate even after closing time, without getting close.

The Circus Maximus and the Arch of Janus

300 metres away, along Via della Greca, the Circus Maximus stretches out below the Palatine. Behind the basilica, the Arch of Janus, a four-sided arch from the 4th century, marks the entrance to the Velabrum.

Opening hours and prices

Portico and basilica open every day from 9:30am to 5:50pm. Entry to the basilica is free. For the photo, a donation of €2 per person has been requested since 2016 (children under 10 and disabled visitors exempt), towards the upkeep of the church; one photo per person. Prices observed in October 2026.

Infos pratiques

Tips

The queue forms in front of the façade, in the sun: come at opening time or in the last hour, and have your camera ready before your turn, as the staff keep things moving quickly. Bring change for the donation. There is no booking: everyone goes through the same queue. Dress respectfully in the basilica (shoulders and knees covered), which is still a place of worship.

How to get there

Piazza della Bocca della Verità 18, 00186 Rome. Metro line B, Circo Massimo station, about a 10-minute walk. Buses 23, 44, 81, 160, 170 and 280, Bocca della Verità stop. On foot, 10 minutes from Piazza del Campidoglio along Via Petroselli.