Continuing the itinerary southward, we reach the zone of the Foro Boario, the site in ancient times of the cattle and beef market,
and the Velabrum, once a stagnant marsh where, according to tradition, the basket with the twins Romulus and Remus was found.

The sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, the twins were saved by a she-wolf who nursed them.
For this reason the she-wolf has become one of the symbols of the city of Rome.

Dominating monuments in the area are the two famous Temples called of Vesta (the one with a circular plan, in reality dedicated to Hercules Victor) and of Fortuna Virilis (in reality dedicated to the river god Portumnus). Following is the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin dating from the 6th century and entrusted later to the Greeks who had fled to Rome from the East. In fact, the church's name comes from the Greek, referring to the splendid decorations characterising it.

Here, each Sunday at 10.30 a.m., a Greek-Orthodox mass is held. Beneath the portico, of the church, to the left, is the famous Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), a large stone disk depicting the face of a faun or river god, with its mouth open. It is probably a monumental slab to close a drain but, according to legend, the stone was used to judge people's honesty: whoever told a lie while holding his hand in the mouth would have ended up pulling out only the stump.

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck also fell subject to its mysterious charm in the famous film Roman Holiday!
At this point the walk continues towards Castel Sant'Angelo, northward; we can either continue on foot or take a bus.

If, on the other hand, we want to take a short break, on the other side of the Tiber, at the entrance to Ponte Cestio, we can enjoy one of the most famous grattacecche (water ices) in Rome. Castel Sant'Angelo was built in the early 2nd century by the Emperor Hadrian, as a monumental tomb for himself and his successors.

Discovering Rome: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12