Front of Tarascon Castle.

Tarascon, sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a town in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, in the south of France. Population: 15,000 inhabitants.

Geography

Tarascon is located 23 km south of Avignon and 20 km north of Arles, on the left bank of the River Rhône. On the other side is the small town of Beaucaire in the Gard département of Languedoc-Roussillon; Directly opposite each other and connected by several bridges, Beaucaire and Tarascon effectively constitute one town.

Culture

Model of the Tarasque

Mythological monster: the Tarasque is said to have lived there at the beginning of the 1st century, and was tamed by Martha in 48 AD. See Tarasque for the whole story and more pictures.

Books: Tartarin de Tarascon (1872) and its two sequels Tartarin sur les Alpes (1885) and Port-Tarascon (1890), by Alphonse Daudet.

Since 1985, there has been a small museum in the town, dedicated to the fictional character Tartarin.

A festival is held every year on the last Sunday of June to remember Tartarin and the Tarasque.

St Martha's Collegiate Church

Highlights

• Historical town centre, including the rue des Halles and its arcades
• Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) (1648)
• Cloître des Cordeliers, 16^th century cloister
• Three city gates remain from the former city wall: Portail St. Jean, Porte de la Condamine and Porte Jarnègues.
• Other highlights below:

The Collegiate Church

Église collégiale Ste Marthe (St Martha's Collegiate Church) is where, according to a local tradition, the biblical figure Martha is buried. The church was built half-romanesque in the 12th century and half-gothic in the 14th century. The crypt dates from the 3rd century.

The mediaeval castle

Tarascon Castle on the river

The construction of the current castle of Tarascon was started in 1401 by Louis II of Anjou, after the previous castle was destroyed. The construction was continued by his first son, Louis III of Anjou , and was completed in 1449 by his second son, René I of Naples. Thus, the castle is often referred to as le château du roi René ("King René's castle").

It was turned into a military prison in the 17th century, until its acquisition by the state in 1932.

It stands right on the banks of the Rhône opposite Beaucaire Castle, and near the Collegiate Church of St Martha.

External links

• Official city website
• Unofficial city website
• History and pictures of the castle (in French)