Benjamin G. Kohl begins by describing Padua's late medieval setting, exploring the geographic and institutional givens inherited by the early Carrara lords as they fought to maintain their city's independence. He then offers a detailed analysis of the Carrara's century-long relationship with their powerful neighbor, Venice - sometimes protector and sometimes nemesis. Kohl examines the changing composition of the Carrara family relationships, as well as the regime's household government, its economic and landed interests, investments in textiles and trade, and the development of its own mint and tax system. By providing a nuanced view of the growth of state power in the hands of a single dynasty, Kohl lays to rest the received view of the lawless Renaissance despot.