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Rome · Mysteries & legends

Biting mouths and talking statues

Rome is full of stones with a reputation: a mouth that bites liars, a statue that insulted popes, a fountain wrapped in rivalries that never happened. On this route we separate what the documents say from what tradition tells, without taking an ounce of fun out of the mystery.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.5 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The marble mask of the Mouth of Truth

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 The Mouth of TruthA marble mask that, legend says, snaps shut on the hand of anyone who lies.
  2. 2 Largo di Torre ArgentinaFour Republican temples, a colony of cats and, at the back, the spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed.
  3. 3 The Minerva elephantBernini's elephant carries an obelisk on its back and, tradition says, points its rear at its critics.
  4. 4 Piazza NavonaA fountain, a church and the most famous rivalry of the Baroque… which the dates prove false.
  5. 5 The statue of PasquinoA battered torso that for centuries was the anonymous, and venomous, voice of the Roman people.
  6. 6 Campo de' FioriA cheerful market around the statue of a philosopher who was burned alive in this very square.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Biting mouths and talking statues

Legends with an address

Every story is tied to a mask, a statue or a square you can see, and sometimes touch.

Record and tradition

We clearly separate what is proven from what is told, so you can enjoy the legend without mistaking it for history.

Crime and punishment

The Ides of March, the burning of Giordano Bruno and the anonymous satires that made the powerful tremble.

Keep exploring

More routes in Rome

Back to Rome
HistoryThe Rome of the Caesars, stone by stone EssentialsFrom the Spanish Steps to St Peter's