Monteriggioni

"This place just keeps getting better."

- Ezio Auditore returning to Monteriggioni in January 1500.

Monteriggioni was a town and commune of Tuscany, Italy. Built in the year 1213 by the overlords of Siena, Monteriggioni was actively involved in the defense of Tuscany against Florentine attempts to gain more territory.

At the front of this conflict was the Auditore family, who later became the town's rulers and protectors. They constructed Monteriggioni's famous walls, and the largest structure within them, the Villa Auditore.

Monteriggioni was also the headquarters of the Italian Assassins from the early 14th century, when Domenico Auditore renovated the villa, to the year 1500, when the town was besieged by Cesare Borgia.

Domenico Auditore
In 1290, the Villa Auditore was constructed, though the identity of whoever built it was unknown. 30 years later, in 1320, the exterior of the villa was subsequently damaged in a Florentine attack.

Some time after the death of Dante Alighieri in 1321, Domenico Auditore bought and renovated the villa – changing the exterior, and adding a painting gallery – using funds he had gained from Marco Polo. Domenico and his son used Monteriggioni as a base of operations in their silent war against the Templars.

In 1296, what would become the Auditore Family Crypt was built in the town. After buying the villa, Domenico hid the armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in the Sanctuary underneath the villa, which could only be unlocked by Assassin seals that were scattered around Italy, hidden in sarcophagi of famous historical Assassins.

Mario Auditore
"Monteriggioni has long stood against her attackers by tucking in and outlasting. The Fiorentini may strike at any time, but they will find us prepared!"

- Mario Auditore, regarding the defense of Monteriggioni.

At some point in the early-mid 14th century, the Shroud of Eden was brought to Monteriggioni by the Assassins. They falsified church records to claim that the artifact was merely a forgery, before hollowing out the well of the town and leaving the Piece of Eden in a lair of elaborate traps.

In 1454, Mario Auditore was made sole ruler of Monteriggioni when his brother Giovanni moved to Florence. The town came under frequent attack by Florence during this time, leading Mario to strengthen the town's economy and defenses in order to better withstand Florentine pressure.

Soon after, Mario discovered that a man named Luciano Pezzati was causing strife within the town, by turning families against each other. After he was captured and interrogated, Luciano revealed that Florence was planning a large attack on Monteriggioni. Rallying his forces, Mario successfully repelled the Florentine forces led by Federico da Montefeltro.

After defending the town, Mario continued to interrogate Luciano, only to discover that the purpose of the Florentine attack was to acquire an ancient artifact hidden underneath the town. With the help of several architects and historians, Mario eventually discovered the Shroud in the hollowed-out well of the town, and had it removed from Monteriggioni by Giovanni.

Over the next twenty years, Monteriggioni gradually fell into disrepair as Mario devoted more of his time to war and the Brotherhood. By 1476, most of the town's shops had closed, the number of visitors to Monteriggioni had decreased and the upkeep of the Villa Auditore had been neglected.

Ezio Auditore
On New Year's Eve 1476, Mario's nephew, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, took shelter in Monteriggioni, and later became the town's biggest investor and co-ruler with Mario. For over 23 years, Monteriggioni prospered as Ezio used the funds he had gathered during his adventures to reopen the town's shops, barracks, brothel and thieves' guild.

Significant improvements were also made to the town's infrastructure, and the Villa Auditore was renovated. By December 1499, Monteriggioni had become a vital headquarters of the Assassins, whose flag flew over the town. Around this time, cannons were also added to the town's defenses by Mario.

On January 2nd 1500, Cesare Borgia – Captain-General of the Papal Army – led a siege on Monteriggioni in order to recover the Apple of Eden that had been taken by Ezio from the Templars. Though the Assassins were able to temporarily hold off the attack while the citizens were evacuated, the town eventually fell; resulting in Mario being killed, and the buildings of Monteriggioni suffering significant damage.

Following this, the Assassins abandoned the town, relocating their headquarters to Rome. However, at some later point, an elderly Ezio returned to Monteriggioni and entered the Sanctuary underneath the Villa Auditore, in order to leave a message for his descendant, Desmond Miles.

Prior to 1554, the Auditore family regained control of Monteriggioni, though the town was betrayed in 1554 by Giovannino Zeti, the keeper of the garrison and a Florentine exile, who was allowed to return to Florence in exchange for the keys to the city. Though the town was soon attacked and conquered by the Medici of Florence, the Auditore were allowed to continue their leadership over Monteriggioni, due to their good relations with the Medici.

Modern Monteriggioni
By the 21st century, the town remained largely unchanged from its Renaissance appearance, and had become a tourist attraction, with a plaque in front of the ruined Villa Auditore commemorating the siege of the town by the Borgia.

On the 9th of September 2012, a small team of modern-day Assassins, composed of Desmond Miles, Lucy Stillman, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, arrived in the town of Monteriggioni to seek refuge from the Templars of Abstergo Industries. They set up a temporary hideout in the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore, where the cell signals that Abstergo was using to locate them could not reach.

The group remained there for the next month as Desmond used the Animus to determine the location of Ezio's Apple of Eden, venturing above ground only at night or when supplies were needed. Also, while Desmond explored Monteriggioni at night, during his breaks from the Animus, he managed to recover some of his ancestors' possessions. After discovering the Apple's location, and the password to the door of the Colosseum Vault, the team left the town for Rome on October 10th 2012, 72 days from the launch of Abstergo's satellite.

As well as this, Abstergo used Monteriggioni as a simulated location in the first stage of training for the recruits in their Animi Training Program.

Renovations
Upon his arrival in Monteriggioni, Ezio was able to invest in the renovation of various buildings throughout the town, with the help of an architect hired by Mario. As the town was renovated, the appearance of the Villa also improved, and flags (marked first with Auditore crest, and then with the Assassin insignia) were also added to buildings.

Achievement
The achievement, "Podestà of Monteriggioni" could be gained by reaching 80% of the Villa's total value.

Trivia

 * Assassin's Creed II
 * Throughout the town, Ezio could find eight statuettes of some of the gods worshipped in ancient Rome. Each pair of statuettes belonged to a pedestal, and each completed pedestal rewarded Ezio with 2,000 florins.
 * After restoring the Mine, Well, and the Church, hidden treasure chests could be found within each structure. The towers on the walls of Monteriggioni also contained treasure, but these chests only appeared after the mercenary barracks, brothel and thieves' guild were renovated.
 * The tunnel and traps that Mario Auditore crossed to reach the Shroud in 1454 were absent, although they could presumably have been removed by the Brotherhood before Ezio's arrival in Monteriggioni.
 * For however much Ezio spent on renovations, he would be paid back 10% of the investment per 20 minutes. Furthermore, any renovations on the four "active" shops would allow Ezio to receive discounts of up to 15% (with three renovations) on all of the items' original prices.
 * The Auditore Family Crypt could be unlocked through Uplay, and it revealed more about the Auditore family and its humble origins.
 * Once it was fully renovated, Monteriggioni had a total of 3,500 residents.


 * Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
 * In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the entrance to the Auditore Crypt was missing in Sequence 1. However, it appeared once more in modern-day Monteriggioni.
 * When Ezio returned to Monteriggioni after the confrontation in the Vatican, all of the shops were unavailable for trade.
 * As of 1500, there were at least 500 residents of Monteriggioni, which could be seen in the beginning of Brotherhood when Ezio had to help the residents escape.
 * Desmond was allowed to exit the Animus at any time to explore Monteriggioni, though only for ten minutes. However, for the first time before doing so, he had to equip a watch and wireless earpiece, in order to remain in contact with Lucy, Rebecca and Shaun.
 * In modern-day Monteriggioni, a strange red trail was visible when Eagle Vision was activated. The trail led from the back entrance of the Villa Auditore to the beginning of the steps in front of the fountain bearing the Assassin insignia. After the completion of Sequence 6, the trail was no longer visible.
 * Darby McDevitt and Falko Poiker explained in an interview that the trail was intended to help the audience find their way back to the Sanctuary, though its red color was an oversight.
 * In 2012, an information booth stood where the Art Merchant used to be. Likewise, a beverage stall replaced the Tailor's shop.
 * In the English version of Brotherhood, the plaque in front of the villa correctly said that the town was attacked by the forces of Pope Alexander VI. The Italian translation, however, incorrectly read as "Pope Alexander IV".
 * During Sequence 1, Ezio could go behind the Villa and enter Mario's study. On doing this, the Codex Wall was present, but unlike in Assassin's Creed II, the Codex would not glow in Eagle Vision.