Circus Maximus
Rome, Italy
Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità), Rome
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Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Donation of ≈ €2 to reach the mask
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- ≈ 9:30–17:50 daily
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 20 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Queue
- 10–30 minutes by day; a few seconds per photo
- Church
- Santa Maria in Cosmedin — free to enter
- Time needed
- 15–30 minutes with the church
- Location
- Piazza della Bocca della Verità; 10 minutes from the Circus Maximus
Key facts
≈ 1.75 mdiameter of the mask
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English Wikipedia≈ 1,300 kgweight of the marble disc
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English Wikipedia1st centuryits likely date — probably a drain cover
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English Wikipedia1632moved into the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin
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English Wikipedia1953Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn's scene in Roman Holiday
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English WikipediaMouth of Truth hours and queue
The mask stands behind a gate in the church porch, reached by a short line and a small donation (about €2, according to guides). It's open roughly 9:30–17:50; in summer and at weekends the queue can take 20–30 minutes. Each visitor gets a few seconds for a photo while a custodian keeps things moving.
If the line is long you can see the mask through the railings at the side, but a hand in the mouth means queuing.
What is the Mouth of Truth?
It's a round marble mask about 1.75 metres across and weighing about 1,300 kg, carved with the bearded face of a river god or Oceanus, with eyes, nose and mouth pierced through. In the 1st century it was most likely a drain cover, perhaps near the nearby Temple of Hercules, the face acting as a grating.
Since 1632 it has stood in the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, against the wall to the left of the door, polished by millions of hands.
The legend and Roman Holiday
From the Middle Ages people said the mask would bite off the hand of a liar, and it was supposedly used to test oaths and faithful wives. Later embellishments added a man hidden behind it with a sword.
Its global fame came with Roman Holiday (1953): Gregory Peck pulls his hand back into his sleeve as if bitten, and Audrey Hepburn's shriek is real — she hadn't been told. Nearly every visitor now recreates the shot.
What's nearby
- Santa Maria in Cosmedin — a 6th-century basilica with a Romanesque bell tower and Cosmatesque floor, free.
- St Valentine's skull — in a reliquary in the church's side aisle.
- Temple of Hercules Victor — a round 2nd-century-BC temple, one of Rome's oldest marble buildings.
- Temple of Portunus — the rectangular temple of the god of harbours beside it.
- Fountain of the Tritons — an 18th-century Baroque fountain in the square.
- Circus Maximus — 5 minutes' walk east.
How to get to the Mouth of Truth
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Circus Maximus is about 7 min away on foot.
- Santa Sabina is about 10 min away on foot.
- Palatine Hill is about 20 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro line B to Circo Massimo, then 10 minutes across the Circus Maximus.
- Buses 23, 44, 81, 160, 170 and 280 stop at Bocca della Verità.
- From the Theatre of Marcellus, 5 minutes along the Tiber.
- From Trastevere, cross Ponte Palatino — 10 minutes.
Is the Mouth of Truth worth it?
Yes, if you love Roman Holiday or have children — it's quick and fun. The mask itself takes five minutes, but Rome's oldest temples and a beautiful medieval church are right here, with the Circus Maximus and the Aventine beyond. Not worth crossing the city for alone, but well worth a stop on the way.
Before you go
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Ancient Rome: compare and choose
Ancient sites in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Pantheon | 82 | 30 min | ≈ €5 | 21 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colosseum | 73 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 16 min walk |
| Roman Forum | 63 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 9 min walk |
| Circus Maximus | 63 | 30 min | Free | 7 min walk |
| Trajan's Column | 60 | 15 min | Free | 15 min walk |
| Capitoline Hill | 58 | 30 min | Free | 10 min walk |
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 57 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €15–20 | 36 min walk |
| Arch of Constantine | 57 | 15 min | Free | 13 min walk |
| Palatine Hill | 54 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 8 min walk |
| Mausoleum of Augustus | 53 | 45 min | ≈ €5, booking | 36 min walk |
| Largo di Torre Argentina | 53 | 30 min | Free from street; walkways ≈ €5 | 15 min walk |
| Pyramid of Cestius | 52 | 20 min | Free | 23 min walk |
| Mouth of Truthyou are here | 49 | 20 min | Donation ≈ €2 | — |
| Appian Way | 49 | 3 h | Free | 6.7 km |
| Domus Aurea | 49 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 | 21 min walk |
| Baths of Caracalla | 48 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €8 | 22 min walk |
| Catacombs of Rome | 48 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €10–12 with guide | 27 min walk |
| Ara Pacis | 47 | 1 h | ≈ €13–15 | 36 min walk |
| Theatre of Marcellus | 47 | 20 min | Free | 8 min walk |
| Vatican Museums | 44 | 3 h | ≈ €25 | 3.0 km |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 10 min walk |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 37 min walk |
| Basilica of San Clemente | 39 | 1 h | Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12 | 23 min walk |
| Imperial Fora | 38 | 1 h | Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15 | 14 min walk |
| Testaccio | 38 | 2 h | Free | 25 min walk |
| Palazzo Massimo | 34 | 2 h | ≈ €10–12 combined ticket | 35 min walk |
| Ostia Antica | 31 | 3 h | ≈ €12–18 | 21.9 km |
| Hadrian's Villa | 29 | 3 h | ≈ €12–15 | 25.0 km |
Palatine to Aventine
The Palatine on your Colosseum ticket, then down to the Circus Maximus, the Mouth of Truth and up the Aventine to the keyhole.
- Palatine Hill1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- 5 min walk from the previous stopCircus Maximus30 min · Free
- 7 min walk from the previous stopMouth of Truthyou are here20 min · Donation ≈ €2
- 10 min walk from the previous stopAventine Keyhole45 min · Free
4 places · about 3 h 27 min with walks · 22 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- The shortest queue is at opening.
- You get a few seconds — plan your photo.
- The church beside it is free and lovely.
- Rome's oldest temples are across the square.
Questions
Where is the Mouth of Truth?
In the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin on Piazza della Bocca della Verità, by the Tiber, 10 minutes from the Circus Maximus.
How much does it cost?
A small donation — about €2, according to guides.
What are the opening hours?
Roughly 9:30–17:50 daily.
What is the legend of the Mouth of Truth?
It's said to bite off the hand of anyone who tells a lie.
What was it originally?
Probably a 1st-century drain cover carved with a river god's face.
Which film made it famous?
Roman Holiday (1953), with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
How long do you need?
15–30 minutes including the queue and church.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Bocca della Verità and Santa Maria in Cosmedin
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