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Looking at the marginal drawings in some manuscripts from the region of Otranto, in Southern Italy, this paper presents their choice of subjects, both animal and human, and tells the story of their interconnectedness. Echoes between similar designs strengthen the hypothesis that these manuscripts belonged to or gravitated around the theological school at Aradeo, whether their contents were sacred or classical texts. These drawings reveal the pious inclinations of these medieval readers, together with their skills at sketching both portraits and fantastic beasts.