Bocca della VeritÃ
The Bocca della Verita ( Mouth of Truth Italian ) is a disk-shaped relief which is attached to the left side wall of the portico of the Roman church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The name Mouth of Truth was first mentioned in documents in 1485. The approximately 2000 years old, antique relief located since 1632 in the vestibule of the church.
The marble
The Bocca della Verità consists of pavonazzetto marble. This marble ( marble phrygium, marble or marble synnadicum docimium ) comes from Dokimeion in Phrygia, Phrygian Valley today, (Turkish Frig Vadisi ) in the city Iscehisar, has a slightly gray color and is relatively fine-grained. It was exported as blank. From Dokimeion also comes a variety bright and traversed by veins reddish marble, which was used mainly for the development of columns sarcophagi.
The diameter of the disc is approximately 175 cm, its thickness is 19 cm. The weight is given as 1200-1300 kg. It is pierced by a total of five holes: two for the eyes, one for the mouth and two for the nostrils. Are located on its edge to the left and right respectively another hole in which it was fastened with metal hooks on the wall.
Theories
The original use is no need to clarify with certainty. The Bocca della Verità could come from the Ara Maxima Herculis, the great altar of Hercules, on the remains of the church of Santa Maria was built in Cosmedin. The Romans worshiped Herakles under the Latin name of Hercules, from the Etruscan Hercle and the Greek name created by syncope, as the Greeks as a god. However, this differs in a number of myths from its annexed counterpart. At his temple on the Forum Boarium businessmen praised him at the commencement of their travels the tenth part of their profits.
Most often, however, it is argued that it is a relief to a kind of acted " channel or well cover " the Cloaca Maxima. For this purpose, the following elements are:
- If you imagine the marble disc lying in front, so are the holes of the nose, mouth and eyes at the lowest points, with which they could be explained as enemas.
- The severe wear of the projecting parts is characteristic of a relief that was on the ground a long time and was polished by many feet.
- The current mounting location is close to the Cloaca Maxima.
The presentation is not clearly identifiable because of the bad state of preservation - among others there are Oceanos, Triton, the Roman god Faunus, but also a native of Egypt Jupiter Ammon considered. The Egyptian Jupiter is depicted with ram's horns on both sides of the head. Greeks and Romans, especially, brought him out of their colonies Cyrene to Rome and worshiped him as Jupiter Ammon. Also the sign of Aries in the zodiac has been set with this cult connection. The original Egyptian name was Amun and stood for a pasture - God. Top Ammon was worshiped in Thebes in Upper Egypt.
In Venice -like masks, the Bocca di Leone served as a public letter box through which you carried petitions and denunciations to the top rulers.
In art and literature
- A medieval legend, everybody loses his hand, which she puts in her mouth and not telling the truth.
- Far less known today is that composed in 1900, the composer Heinrich Becker Place, in collaboration with Adele Osterloh, an operetta of the same name.
- The Bocca della Verità is found in the short story Night Wings (1969 ) by Robert Silverberg.
- From Mayröcker comes the radio play " Bocca della verità ".
Trivia
- On March 12, 1812 is the robber captain Stefano Spadolino and four accomplices were executed by firing squad at the Bocca della Verità.
- The Mouth of Truth became famous especially by the film A heart and a crown with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, the film was a much larger backdrop built and not rotated at the original location. It was thus a popular tourist destination.
- The scene from A heart and a crown was parodied in the 2000 Japanese film by Hideo Nakata Sleeping Bride. She also appears in the film Only You (1994 ) with Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei.
- It is for the Nintendo GameCube can also be seen in the game Animal Crossing and also in Animal Crossing: Wild World for Nintendo DS.