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 & we do not know if this disease really existed. The tarantula is part of the wolf spider family, & is tive to southern Europe. The tarantula can reach 3 cm long, without the legs. She lives on the ground & digs a burrow filled with silk in which she lives.