Julius II

Julius II, born Giuliano della Rovere (5 December 1443 – 21 February 1513), also known as The Fearsome Pope and The Warrior Pope, was the Pope from 1503 to 1513, and was the successor of Pius III (whose predecessor was Alexander VI).

Rivalry with the Borgia
Giuliano was a long time nemesis of the House of Borgia, maintaining his rivalry even when they came to power and controlled all of Rome. When the Assassins began their battle against the Borgia, Giuliano quickly became an ally of the Order and supported them in their efforts to defeat the Borgia.

Becoming Pope
After the short reign of Pius III, Giuliano was elected Pope in 1503, and took the name of Julius, after the 4th century Pope, Julius I. Julius ordered a warrant for the arrest of Cesare Borgia, for the crimes of murder, betrayal, and incest.

Meeting with Ezio
Following Cesare and Micheletto Corella's arrests, Julius II employed Leonardo da Vinci as a military engineer and shortly afterwards met with the Mentor of the Italian Assassins, Ezio Auditore. Julius, who was aware of the Piece of Eden through his contact with Leonardo, discussed its existence with Ezio before deciding it was best for it to remain with the Assassins. He made the suggestion that Ezio hide it so that it could be used by future generations.

Julius opposed Ezio's decision to kill Cesare and Micheletto, who still believed they were a threat despite imprisonment. Julius later worked to rebuild Rome and revive it from the decrepit state it had fallen into following the period of Borgia rule.

Death
Giuliano died of a fever in February 1513, his dream of an independent Italian kingdom ended.