A legend says that formerly in the city of Taranto people caught a strange disease, tarantism, caused by the poisonous bite of the tarantula. To cure it, the whole village danced the tarantella, a dance supposed to dissipate the venom. But in reality its bite is not dangerous for humans and we do not know if this disease really existed. The tarantula is part of the wolf spider family, and is tive to southern Europe. The tarantula can reach 3 cm long, without the legs. She lives on the ground and digs a burrow filled with silk in which she lives.