Photo A Day: Rome, Church, Altar, Moody

In honor of getting a new camera and needing a reason to play with it…welcome to my Photo A Day! Topic: Whatever strikes my fancy. Frequency: Daily-ish. I hope.Going through photos. Came across this one. Thought it was about flippin' time that I posted it.This altar shot was taken at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a small and perfectly beautiful church in Rome. The Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of Truth, is located in the front portico and anyone familiar with the movie Roman Holiday knows what I'm talking about. Crowds line the portico and spill out into the street to get a photo taken with their hand in this giant stone mask's gaping mouth, but nobody ever goes inside. It's one of the few places in Rome that I remember as quiet, cool, and crowd-free.It's kind of moody, maybe. But what do you expect with all those somber paintings and heavy stone sculpture and strategic lighting?When you're in Rome, by all means have your Roman Holiday walking tour (I did!) and stand in the line of Truth. But if you need a seat afterwards because you've been standing in the heat, just slip into the basilica and enjoy a few moments of cool, quiet peace, literally feet away from the crowds of the city.For those who don't know the Bocca della Verita scene in Roman Holiday, here's the video. And where have you been hiding? This is only one of the greatest movies ever. EVER. Enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNsgwFHMhfM