View Article: Santa Maria in Cosmedin response

	Santa Maria in Cosmedin response
	written by Allie Kunkel / 07.12.2004

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Location

Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Connection to Research

It did not expand my idea of the church very much because most of us did not go any further than the "mouth of truth." The outside corresponded to the pictures I had included in my initial research but it was obvious everyone there's main agenda was to play Audrey Hepburn.

Element of Interest

The "Mouth of Truth" interested my the most, mainly because of its international recognition as the manhole cover that bit off Gregory Peck's hand. It was also interesting to watch other people's reactions. Many would hesitate placing their hand in the mouth because of its legend (it will close on the hand of any purjerer), and everyone was eager to take silly pictures with it.

Questions

"Why would they keep the likeness of a river god in a Greek Orthadox Church?"

I still dont know the answer to this, but through my stay in Rome I have recognized an appreciation for foreign and paegan objects in Catholic churches. Egyptian relics are also popular and many frescoes still included characters from Roman mythology.

Image Analysis

The Mouth of Truth

wheres the silly person pretending to be bitten??

In this picture you cannot see the long passageway leading up to this celebrated sewer cover. Down the long corridor you can see the people crowding around and the cameras flashing, but cannot see the mouth yet. It builds quite a bit of suspense.

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