“Il domestico, il selvatico, il fantastico” nei bestiari tardoantichi e medievali

Here I intend to examine the genre of bestiaries: it did not move from the intention of a naturalistic and scientific interpretation of wild beasts and other animals, nor did it respond only to the fablelike taste or the search for the marvelous that the public liked so much. Actually, the theriological explanations served rather to reveal the allusions contained in the sacred books. The principle that animates this concept is the following: nature is creation and reflection of the otherworldly world and God’s creatures, starting with animals, allow man to grasp the ‘syntax’ of creation.