Venice

Venice (Italian: Venezia) was an island city in northern Italy and capital of the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. Famous for its expansive canal system, Venice was one of the largest and wealthiest settlements in Italy during the Renaissance. It was made up of five main districts: San Polo, San Marco, Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and Castello.

History
During the 15th Century, Venice was capital of the Most Serene Republic of Venice and its largest city. Historically founded by refugees from the Hunnic and Germanic invasion of Padua, Aquileia, and Altino, Venice developed to become a major trade and naval power in southern Europe, and by the year 1499 was engaged in sporadic conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

Even during the 13th Century Venice had a notable Assassin presence, the area surrounding Venice was home to an Assassin and his son – Domenico. Both enjoyed the patronage of the famed explorer Marco Polo, an ally of the Assassins. Their presence continued on into the 15th Century, occupying positions of command amongst the thieves, mercenaries and courtesans of the city.

By the Renaissance Era, Venice was one of the richest cities in the world. It consisted of five districts. The San Polo district was the center of commerce, containing many markets, and was also the location of the Venetian Thieves' Guild. The San Marco district was the administrative center of the city, containing government buildings such as the Palazzo Ducale, the residence of the Doge. The Dorsoduro district attracted many artists, and was where many festivals in Venice, such as Carnevale, took place. The Castello district was largely centered around the Venetian military, and was where its powerful navy was based and maintained. The Cannaregio district was a run-down area that eventually became Venice's ghetto, the area to which Jews were relegated, forbidden to go elsewhere in the city.

Following the Templar failure to capture Florence during the Pazzi conspiracy, Rodrigo Borgia and his allies – the Barbarigo family – step up their plans to take control of the city of Venice. Influencing powerful members of Venetian government, such as Carlo Grimaldi, the Knights Templar assassinated the Doge Giovanni Mocenigo and placed one of their own on the throne; Marco Barbarigo. By this time however, the Florentine Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze had arrived in Venice and begun to counter the Templar plot.

Following the assassination of Marco Barbarigo and the ascension of his brother Agostino, an ally to the Assassins, Ezio Auditore chased down the last remaining Barbarigos Silvio, cousin to Agostino, and his man servant Dante Moro to L'Arsenale di Venezia and liberated the city's military district. It was here that the Assassin learned that the Templar plot to acquire Venice had merely been a distraction for the Assassins', so that the Templars might safely dispatch their vessel to Cyprus. Between 1502 and 1503 Francesco Vecellio and his team of Assassins traveled to Venice to poison the now corrupt and Borgia-influenced Agostino Barbarigo. Before they left he made sure that Agostino's successor was on the Assassins' side.

Landmarks
The following list comprises all the Venetian landmarks of significance:


 * Cannaregio District
 * San Giobbe
 * Madonna dell'Orto
 * San Polo District
 * Gilda del Ladri di Venezi (Glyph location)
 * Santa Maria Gloriosa del Frari
 * Bottega di Leonardo a Venezia
 * San Giacomo di Rialto (Glyph location)
 * Ponte di Rialto (Glyph location)
 * San Marco District
 * Santo Stefano
 * Torre dell'Orologio (Glyph location)
 * Campanile di San Marco (Glyph location)
 * Palazzo Ducale di Venezia
 * Basilica di San Marco (Assassin's Tomb location)
 * Castello District
 * Scuola Grande di San Marco (Glyph location)
 * Santi Giovanni e Paolo
 * Arsenale di Venetia
 * San Zaccaria
 * San Pietro di Castello (Glyph location)
 * Dorsoduro District
 * Santa Maria dei Camini
 * Squero di San Trovaso
 * Santa Maria della Visitazione (Assassin's Tomb location)

Carnevale
Annually Venice hosted the famed Carnevale in the southern part of the city. Traditionally the citizens of Venice would don masks, allowing them to indulge in a variety of entertainments wilder than would normally be socially acceptable. Typically Carnevale was celebrated with fireworks, carnival performers and a series of games, the winner being awarded a Golden Mask that granted entrance to the Doge's personal party.

Assassination Targets

 * Emilio Barbarigo; Corrupt Merchant of Venice (DNA Sequence 7)
 * Carlo Grimaldi; Member of the Council of Ten (DNA Sequence 8)
 * Marco Barbarigo; Doge of Venice (DNA Sequence 9)
 * Silvio Barbarigo; Member of the Supreme Tribunal of Venice (DNA Sequence 10)
 * Dante Moro; Personal Bodyguard of Marco and Silvio Barbarigo (DNA Sequence 10)

Trivia

 * Even after the events of the Carnevale, the citizens will continue to celebrate it for the remainder of the game, albeit without fireworks, in the district of Dorsoduro.
 * The enemies in Venice are far more skilled than the enemies in Florence, and are better equipped.
 * Venice is the only city where you can't use horses.
 * On the border of San Polo and San Marco there are two painters who are looking out across the river yet they are painting a portrait of a person.
 * The southern-most island of Venice, La Guidecca, which resides on a separate island, is inaccessible to players during the course of the game.

Appearances

 * Assassin's Creed: Lineage
 * Assassin's Creed II
 * Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
 * Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood