Case file · Folklore / legend
The Tarasque of Tarascon
Legend says Saint Martha tamed the Tarasque, a river dragon of the Rhône, and led it into Tarascon; in 1474 King René of Anjou founded the festival in which its effigy still parades.
1474 CE · 43.81, 4.66 · status: legend
The account
The legend of Martha is recorded from the 12th–13th centuries (it appears in the Golden Legend). The Tarasque festivities are on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage.