Full color reproduction of a late Seventeenth-century manuscript codex describing in detail the composition of all old and lesser old families belonging at that time to the Venetian Patriciate. For each family all the male members are given along with their birth dates, as well as marriages and their issue: infact, this booklet is a sort of pocket Who’s who which, far from being a mere carnet mondain, gave to its reader plenty of information, very useful for the political life of the Venetian aristocratic republic, as marriages forfaiting the strictly endogamic laws of the <>Serenissima bore the consequence of the esclusion from the Maggior Consiglio of their issue, and too close links of blood forbade to take part in votations in order to lessen potential conflicts of interests. Between the end of the Nineteenth century and the beginning of the Twentieth coats of arms were added for each family. The reproduction of the original is introduced by a foreword by Niccolo’ Orsini De Marzo, who illustrates some peculiarities of the codex and its coeve practical usefulness from the political point of view.