Monumento al Lagarto de Jaén

Monumento al Lagarto de Jaén

The monument is of a lizard, being the most famous legend of the capital. The saying goes: “Hopefully you will burst like the Lizard of Jaén”. There are a few versions of the legend however it is thought the lizard lived in the fountain of Magdalena and went out to kill people and animals. A shepherd killed the lizard using as bait a bloody lamb skin filled with burning tinder that, when swallowed, hugged the entrails of the lizard and made it burst. In memory of the shepherd a scene has been painted in the same fountain of the Magdalena. Therefore, when someone eats a lot, they are told that “he is going to burst like the lizard of Jaén”. There is a similar legend in Córdoba and Valencia.

Located on Calle Santo Domingo.

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