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The Bocca della Verita might've been a Roman drain before it was moved to S. Maria in Cosmedin's wall. It is said that the hands of liars will be cut off if placed within the mouth (hence the name). To keep the superstition alive, the caretaker-priest used to stick a scorpion in the back of the mouth to sting the fingers of suspected fibbers. The Bocca made a cameo in “Roman Holiday”; during the filming, Gregory Peck stuck his hand in the mouth and jokingly hid his hand in his sleeve when he yanked it out, causing in Audrey Hepburn a shock. The scene wasn't scripted, but it worked so well that it was kept in the movie.