The Mouth of Truth (La Bocca della Verita'� ) is a marble image of a man-like face, located in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, Italy. This church, of Catholic Greek rite, is also home to the supposed relics of St Valentine. The sculpture is thought to be part of a 1st century ancient Roman fountain, or perhaps a manhole cover, portraying one of several possible pagan gods, probably Oceanus. Most Romans believe that the Bocca (Mouth) represents the ancient god of the river Tiber. The most famous characteristic of the Mouth, however, is its role as a lie detector. Starting from the Middle Ages, Italian and German stories reported that if one told a lie with one's hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. The Mouth of Truth is known to English-speaking audiences mostly from its appearance in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. This scene from Roman Holiday was parodied in the 2000 Japanese film Sleeping Bride. It was also replicated in the American film Only You. Electronic coin-operated reproductions of the Mouth are found in fairgrounds of Spain and Hungary, at some motorway service stations in the UK, and at some train stations in Denmark, usually together with photo booths. There is also a full size replica of the Mouth of Truth at Pikake Botanical Gardens in Valley Center, California. There is a similar sculpture of a lion in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India that, according to local lore, bites off one's hand if a lie is told. In France at Parc Asterix, one reproduction of the Mouth is used as a bin and thanks the people dropping garbage down her throat. Thank you for your kind comments, and don't tell lies to your lovers!