Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Description:

• This basilica was constructed on the ancient site of a grocery market. Its famous facade consists of a portico with arches, inside which is a stone mask known as The Mouth of Truth, reputed to bite off the hand of any liar who dares to reach inside. Inside the basilica is a mosaic-covered floor and a wooden ceiling, added during successive restorations. Later restorations added the choir with two pulpits and the high altar in red granite. The seven story, Romanesque bell tower is considered the most beautiful in Rome.
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