Caterina Sforza

Caterina Sforza (1463 - 28 May 1509) was the Countess of Forlì and Imola and the daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza. She was engaged to the Pope's nephew Girolamo Riario, at only 10 years of age, and consummated the marriage at 14.

Meeting with Ezio Auditore
Close to the departure of Leonardo da Vinci from Forlì, Caterina was in Forli and became trapped on a small rock in the middle of a lake. Luckily for her, Ezio Auditore da Firenze heard her screaming for help, then came to her with a gondola and helped her back to land. For this aid, Caterina thanked Ezio by telling the captain of the Venetian ship to grant Ezio passage to Venice.

While sailing away from Forlì, Ezio stated that Caterina was "his next conquest", before being reprimanded by Leonardo, who explained Caterina's importance to Ezio and remarked that seducing her would not be such a good idea. Leonardo described her as being "as powerful and dangerous as she is young and beautiful." Ezio simply replied that Caterina is his "kind of woman."

Battle of Forlì
In 1484, Caterina moved with her family to Forli. In 1488, shortly after the murder of her husband, Caterina was contacted by her allies, the Assassin Order, who asked her if they could hide an "important artifact" inside the Rocca di Ravaldino in Forlì. Caterina agreed and met with Niccolò Machiavelli and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, whom she previously hadn't known to be an Assassin, in the countryside of Romagna.

While walking towards Forlì, Caterina informed Niccolò and Ezio that she had hired the Orsi brothers to kill her husband Girolamo Riario, as he was a Templar, as well as "boring in bed", "a lousy father" and a "pain in [her] ass." As they drew closer to the city, they were met by a large crowd of Forlì's citizens fleeing. One of them informed them that Forlì was being attacked by the Orsi brothers. Niccolò concluded that the two brothers were working for Rodrigo Borgia, and were probably looking for the map that Girolamo had made of all the locations of the Codex pages.

Caterina took her soldiers to fight and retrieve her city, while Ezio served in the battle as both a soldier and protector to Caterina. By the time the group had reached the Rocca di Ravaldino, the Orsi brothers had taken two of Caterina's children hostage as a guise to steal the Apple of Eden, of which they heard was in the possession of Ezio. When they threatened to kill her children if she did not relinquish the Apple, Caterina lifted her skirt, showing her genitals, and cried that she had "the instrument to make more."

Caterina did not wish the brothers to think that they were victorious, but she was desperate to get her children back, and requested Ezio retrieve them for her. Ezio left the city immediately, found the children and managed to kill Ludovico Orsi. Meanwhile, the Templars attacked the citadel again and took the Apple, which Ezio had placed in Caterina's hands.

After Ezio returned with Caterina's children and found out about the attack, he left Forlì and followed Checco Orsi into the countryside, where he assassinated him and retrieved the Apple. Checco managed to stab Ezio right before dying, and Ezio lost consciousness because of his wound, though not before seeing the Apple being stolen from him by a black robed monk with a missing finger. Caterina's soldiers found Ezio's unconscious body next to Checco's and took him to the Palazzo Comunale, where Caterina nursed him until he regained consciousness. Ezio then set off to find the monk, after Caterina gave him the map her ex-husband had made of the Codex pages.

Florence
Caterina was exiled to Florence, where she married Giovanni de' Medici. They had one son, baptized as Ludovico. However, after Giovanni's death in 1498, Caterina re-Christianised her son's name to Giovanni.

Siege of Monteriggioni
In 1500, Caterina and some of her soldiers went to temporarily stay in Monteriggioni to gain the help of some of the mercenaries working for the Villa. When Ezio was relaxing in his tub after the events in Rome, Caterina entered in his room and took her dress off. The two kissed and spent the night together. However, the next morning, they were interrupted as the town was besieged by the Borgia, under the command of Cesare Borgia. Caterina joined her soldiers in the defense outside the city, but was captured by some of Cesare's soldiers. She was held captive by Juan Borgia, and witnessed the execution of Mario Auditore by Cesare.

Caterina was brought to Rome in a carriage, and was seen being taken out of it just outside the Castel Sant'Angelo. Lucrezia Borgia welcomed her to Rome, and warned the citizens the same would happen to any of those who opposed Cesare. After being taken away by the guards, Caterina was held captive within the Castel.

Shortly after this, Ezio infiltrated the Castel in order to assassinate Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia. Unfortunately, Cesare left before Ezio could assassinate him, and Rodrgio had evidently not been at the Castel for some time. Nevertheless, Ezio eventually found Caterina locked up in a cell, and witnessed her being injured by Lucrezia. Ezio pursued Lucrezia, as she had taken the key to Caterina's cell.

After killing a few guards, Ezio carried Lucrezia back to Caterina's cell, where she slipped her hand into Lucrezia's dress and took the key. Ezio and Caterina both forced Lucrezia into Caterina's old cell, with Caterina banging Lucrezia's head against the door to knock her unconscious. As she was unable to walk from her injury, Ezio carried Caterina out of the Castel. Upon reaching the walls, the two rode on horseback and Ezio ordered her to go to Tiber Island while he stayed behind to distract the guards.

Later life
Caterina, knowing she was of little use to anyone without Forlì, decided to leave in order to care for her children and await the restoration of her lands. She planned to leave unannounced on horseback, though Ezio caught her just before she left. She then encouraged Ezio to unite the Assassins as their leader, and take back Rome. Her last words before galloping out of Ezio's sight were "Vittoria agli Assassini!" (Victory to the Assassins).

It is later revealed by Shaun Hastings that, after Caterina returned to Florence, she made a petition to regain control of Forlì, though it was denied. She eventually died of pneumonia.

Personality and characteristics
"That woman is as powerful and dangerous as she is young and beautiful."

- Leonardo da Vinci

She is depicted as a strong, fierce woman, but also seems to be quite maternal and caring. Her colorful vocabulary was displayed in taunts and vulgarities shouted at her enemies during the Battle of Forlì.

Trivia

 * In the novel Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, the scene where Ezio first met Caterina is a little different. As she walked on the port, she was seen arguing with her husband, Girolamo Riario. Tired of her, he told Caterina to sit in the nearest gondola. While she entered the boat, Girolamo then gave a powerful shove to the prow and walked away. As the gondola drifted farther away from land, she began to shout, and Ezio, who had watched the scene unfold, came to her rescue.
 * In the Battle of Forlì sequence, she used the sultan's knife as her weapon.
 * Caterina, like every other character in Assassin's Creed II besides Ezio, cannot swim. When she is trapped on the small rock, she will shout for help or swear, and will sometimes yell that she cannot swim.
 * Caterina's face, like those of most recurring characters from Assassin's Creed II, has changed greatly by Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
 * After rescuing her from the Castel in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio asks, "Caterina, did they-? Did Cesare?", to which Caterina replies "No. My name must still have some value. I was left... unspoiled." This is contradictory to history, in which Caterina was raped by both Rodrigo and Cesare, though she may have been lying to Ezio.
 * The Elegant Gown item in Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy is Caterina's dress in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
 * Caterina was surprisingly less foul-mouthed in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood; where her rather colorful vocabulary seemed to have passed on to Bartolomeo d'Alviano.
 * As Ezio carries Caterina out of the Castel, she reveals to him that the night that they spent together at the villa was not out of passion, but merely out of politics.
 * According to the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel, her hair smelled of vanilla and roses.
 * Lucrezia Borgia claims that Caterina was perhaps flirting with or from Cesare in his private carriage, but they both come out of the same carriage.