Giovanni Auditore da Firenze

"I am Giovanni Auditore, and like my ancestors before me, I am an Assassin."

- Assassin's Creed: Lineage's headline

Giovanni Auditore da Firenze was the husband of Maria Auditore father of Ezio Auditore, Federico Auditore, Petruccio Auditore and Claudia Auditore. He was a nobleman, working as a banker for the Medici, but was truly an Assassin. He was raised and trained along with his brother Mario as an Assassin, and has been aware of the Templar Order for almost all of his life. He also knew of Ezio's ability: Eagle Vision. He was a descendant of Altair and an ancestor of Desmond Miles. He secretly trained his son, Federico, of the ways of an Assassin, even before the beginning of Lineage, though Federico was unaware of it.

Giovanni is the main character of the Assassin's Creed world-based short film: Assassin's Creed: Lineage, where he is portrayed by Romano Orzari.

Assassin's Creed: Lineage
Giovanni Auditore is a Florentine nobleman who lived in 15th century Italy; the Renaissance. He was also an Assassin, and a descendant of Altaïr. He serves for the powerful Lorenzo de' Medici and justice, however in 1476, a conspiracy plot to overthrow Lorenzo and the Medici family from their position. One night, hiding from his children, Giovanni is about to execute a mission for Lorenzo. In his secret chamber, hidden behind the hearth of the fireplace, Giovanni dons his Assassin's outfit and weapons, including an updated Hidden Blade. Before he leaves, he peeks in on his family having dinner, smiling as he makes eye contact with his wife, Maria. His teenage son, Ezio, spots the exchange, but says nothing. Giovanni presses a pressure panel on the fireplace mantel, which lowers the active hearth, revealing the chamber's entrance. From the chamber he exits through a long, dark passage way, emerging onto the rooftops.

He intercepts, in the dark streets of Florence, Rodrigo Borgia and three of his men. Rodrigo flees but Giovanni manages to capture one of his men. He brought him to Lorenzo, and the prisoner reveals through torture that the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, will be assassinated in the church during the feast of Santo Stefano. Giovanni heads to Milan, but arrives too late as he sees through the crowds the assassination of Sforza. Despite his efforts to capture at least one of the murderers for interrogation, the killers are all dispatched by Giovanni and Sforza's vengeful guards. After his mission, Giovanni goes back home to see his family, and then meditates on the death of Sforza and its consequences.

Observing the Ducat he looted from one of Sforza's murderers, he understands that his next quest will lead him to Venice. He immediately goes to the floating city, and infiltrates the Palazzo Ducale. There, he spies the conversation between the Barbarigo cousins. A messenger leaves the room he was watching, and is charged by Marco to deliver the message to Rome. Giovanni tails him by the rooftops and once he arrives in a quiet place, he attempts to assassinate him from above which fails, leading him to enter in combat against him. After a brutal fight, Giovanni manages to take the advantage. On top, and holding his Hidden Blade under the man's chin, he threatens to kill the messenger if he does not reveal his masters' plot. The man refuses, preferring to keep his secrets until death. He unexpectedly grabs onto Giovanni's wrist with both hands and drives the weapon into his own throat. Giovanni curses the messenger as a fool and takes the letter he was carrying. He then brings it to Lorenzo, but the letter is encrypted, and Uberto Alberti suggests Giovanni to take some rest while he gives it to be decoded by Father Maffei.

Once the letter is decoded, Uberto tells Maffei to keep quiet about the success of the letter's decoding, and sends him to bring Giovanni and Lorenzo. It is night in Florence; Giovanni tenderly kisses his wife Maria before leaving his home, under the peeping of their son Ezio (of which they are aware). Ezio asks him what a "banker" is doing so late at night out of his home. Giovanni replies with it being a "business call". Ezio insists that he wants to go with him, but Giovanni refuses as he affirms he is already helping him "more than he knows". Uberto pretends they weren't able to decode the letter, his tone blaming Maffei, and suggests to deliver an exact copy of the letter in order to find the leaders of the conspiracy. Giovanni accepts the mission as he knows where it must be delivered. Having been told by Lorenzo to find the conspirators and to show no mercy, Giovanni then leaves Florence for Rome.

Once he arrived in Rome, Giovanni gives the letter to a man. Then, it travels from hand to hand until arriving into its final destination: in the hands of Rodrigo Borgia. Rodrigo brings the message to Pope Sixtus IV at the Vatican and tries to persuade Sixtus to give military support for a scheme to remove Lorenzo de' Medici, while not agreeing at first, he eventually accepts. Satisfied, Rodrigo leaves him and walks in the streets of Rome while being followed by Giovanni. He eventually notices his presence and manages to draw him into a church. Rodrigo proposes him to join his side, but Giovanni refuses. Rodrigo then leaves him to his men. Giovanni wins the intense combat where he loses his Hidden Blade, but he eventually gets hit by a throwing knife from Rodrigo which injures him badly, luckily he is able to escape the attack and back in Florence, his wife treats his wound. She notes that the blade almost reached his heart. Giovanni is worried; he fears that the murder of Sforza was just the beginning of a conspiracy that will strike Florence. Federico, the eldest son suddenly warns his parents of the arrival of Father Maffei, with armed guards. Giovanni prefers to leave discreetly and tells his son to buy him some time. He lastly adds to Federico that as the oldest, it is his responsibility to protect the family in his absence. Federico is clearly disconcerted that the lives of his mother and siblings are on his shoulders, but accepts this. He goes down to answer the door. Giovanni manages to escape the house by the chamber's secret passage. While walking around the dark streets of Florence, he sees his son Ezio flirting with a girl. He smiles with fondness at the sight, and manages to disappear before his son could see him.

"'''My dear sons, dark skies are rising over Florence and time is running low. The enemy is closer than I thought. Now, the final battle is about to unfold. Every man is mortal, every life bounds to an end but certain things will never change. Federico and Ezio, my sons, always remember: WE are the Auditore da Firenze and WE are Assassins.'

- Giovanni's monologue in the end of Lineage ''"

Assassin's Creed II
"Tu sei un Auditore. Sei un combattente. Perciò Combatti! (You are an Auditore, You are a fighter. So fight!)"

- Giovanni Auditore speaking to Ezio at his birth

Giovanni Auditore is first seen in Assassin's Creed II at Ezio's birth sequence in the Animus (1.0), in which he holds Ezio in his arms and remarks that he is a born fighter. After Desmond enters the Animus 2.0, Giovanni is seen once again at the Auditore's house, in which he says he is proud that Ezio reminds him of himself when he was younger. Giovanni then gives Ezio two separate quests "Paperboy" and "Special Delivery". Soon after completing the quests, city guards take Giovanni and his sons, Federico and Petruccio, to prison, being accused of treason. Ezio, who fortunately wasn't captured, ventured to his father's cell window and learns that they are being detained in for answers of their imprisonment, but Giovanni instead tasks his son to find the hidden room inside his office (which hides his Assassin equipment) and take everything that he finds. Shortly after, Ezio arrives at where the execution takes place, Uberto Alberti declares Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio guilty of treason, therefore executed, becoming victims of a conspiracy. His execution drove Ezio into the life of a self-trained Assassin and Maria into silence.

In Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Ezio eventually goes back for the bodies of his father and brothers. He gives them a proper burial by cremating them and setting them adrift in boats down the river.

Trivia

 * Giovanni's ring finger remains intact due to improvements to the "Hidden blade" and changes to the tactics and traditions of the Assassin order made by Altaïr after the events of the first game.
 * Giovanni died before telling Ezio (as well as his youngest son, Petruccio and his daughter Claudia) of their assassin heritage which disappointed his brother, Mario. It is believed however, that he began training his eldest son Federico in secret, but couldn't actually get far enough to teach him any intermediate Assassin skills.
 * Giovanni's close friendship with the Medicis began when Giovanni saved young Lorenzo's life from drowning.
 * Giovanni knew about Ezio's Eagle vision, but it is unknown if he himself possessed this gift.
 * While Ezio's Short Blade is next to his sword, Giovanni's Short Blade is kept on his leggings.
 * Giovanni is never seen wearing actual Armor.
 * Giovanni only ever seemed to carry two throwing knives at once, which is far less than any other Assassin shown using them.
 * Giovanni leaves his assassin outfit behind for Ezio to find, however in the short-film 'Assassin's Creed: Lineage', it does not have the 'Eagle's beak' on the hood; it is also missing several other details.