La Bocca della Verità, (the mouth of truth)
This strange river god used to be a drain cover, but since the middle ages this frightening image served as a lie detector. It was believed that if you told a lie with your hand in the mouth of this god, it would be bitten of. Of course it had to be helped sometimes by a servant with a blade. The Bocca was placed in the front yard of the Sta. Maria in Cosmedin church in the 17th century.
The sculpture is thought to be part of a roman fountain or perhaps a “manhole” cover. Take bus 170 to Via del Teatro di Marcello (or any bus to Piazza Venezia).
address: Piazza Bocca della Verità openings: 9:30am - 6pm daily.
Related Travel Information
The crypt of Santa Maria della Concezione
Close to the Piazza Barberini you can find the The Santa Maria della Concezione. Down in the catacombs, this church houses one of the more bizarre sights in Rome. A series of chambers housing the skeletal remains of the Capuchin monks that served the church in past centuries. The bones are not just stored, but the chambers are literary decorated with them. They form intracate patterns on the walls and ceilings or are piled up against the walls. There are even a few skeletons dressed in the traditional brown habit. Justin : I found
Santa Maria della Vittoria
The interior of this tiny church follows all of the rules of the Baroque period—sumptuousness, gold everywhere and lots of colour. The real interest in the church is the masterpiece by the alter on the left in the Cornaro Chapel. It is none other than Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Teresa."
address: Largo Santa Susanna (the eastern end of Via del Quirinale)
London is the coolest city on earth, according to a big crowd of fans of the city, and there is quite some truth in that. The city on the Thames has an amazing lot of things to do. One can spend several weeks in the city alone, doing something different every day.
On the first day, one could enjoy his love for the fine arts in some of the world's finest museums, such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. The second day is for fun and entertainment. There are streets filled with bars, pubs and theaters. And contrary to
Gesù
Il Gesù, or the church of the Santissimo nome di Gesù, is the mother church of the Jesuit order . Build between 1568 and 1575 this baroque church was the principal example for almost all Jesuit churches around the world. In the nave the flock had to be assembled and educated. The most important weapons in the counterreformation were education and a whole new army of Saints. This education is evident in the frescos that ornate the nave and depict the triumph of the Name of Christ. The fresco inside the cupola is also by Bacicca, who shows here hes
{Vatican_City,Sights : Vatican Museum}
This museum is a real treasure chamber, packed with more works of art than can be viewed in a days visit. Especially the wing with classical sculpture is awesome. The most famous works include the Laocoon group, and the Torso Belvedere, next to the images the Roman emperors had erected for them selves. The pinacoteca contains paintings by all the great Italian painters from the 13th to the 19th century as well as many by foreign masters. Also the Sixtine chapel by Michelangelo and the Stanze by Raphael are part of the museum.
The founding of the Vatican
