Medieval belfry

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The tallest medieval belfry in Rome
Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin
Piazza della Bocca della Verità
Rome, September 2019

“In the portico of the church, on the north side, can be found La Bocca della Verità, an ancient sculpture thought to be a drain covering. A legend states that, if a person places his hand inside the mouth (bocca) and then swears falsely, the mouth will close and sever the hand. There is no attested case of such an event taking place. The church's bell tower is the tallest medieval belfry in Rome. The current interior of S. Maria in Cosmedin has a nave with two aisles: these are divided by four pilasters and eighteen ancient columns. Built into the side walls, some of the old columns of the Statio Annonae are visible. Other fragments of the ancient building can be seen in the crypt. Paintings from the 8th-12th centuries, in three layers, are preserved in the upper part of the nave and in the triumphal arch. The church has a very fine Cosmatesque pavement. The schola cantorum is from the 13th century, while the main altar is a red granite piece from 1123. The Easter candelabrum is also from the 13th century.” (Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Wikipedia)