Ezio Auditore da Firenze

"My name is Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and like my father and grandfathers before me, I am an Assassin."

- Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze (born 1459) was a Florentine noble during the Italian Renaissance and, unbeknownst to most historians and philosophers, a central member and Grand Master of the Assassin's Order. A descendant of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and ancestor to both Desmond Miles and Subject 16, Ezio was unaware of his Assassin heritage until the age of 17, when his father and two brothers, Federico and Petruccio, were murdered. Ezio fled Florence – his birthplace – and took refuge at the Villa Auditore in the Tuscan town of Monteriggioni.

Learning of his heritage from his uncle, Mario Auditore, Ezio begun his Assassin training, as well as his quest for vengeance against the Grand Master of the Templar Order, Rodrigo Borgia, who had ordered the executions of his father and two brothers. During his quest, Ezio managed to not only unite the pages of Altaïr's Codex for the first time since Domenico Auditore, but also to save the cities of Florence, Venice, and later Rome from the Templars' wrath. He ensured the future travels of Christoffa Corombo to the "New World" and, in liberating Rome from Borgia control, helped spread the Renaissance and Assassin ideals of independence and free thought throughout Italy.

Shortly before the death of Rodrigo Borgia in 1503, Ezio was pronounced the Grand Master, or "ll Mentore", of the Assassin Order.

Pre-Execution
Ezio Auditore da Firenze was born in Florence on June 24, 1459 AD, the second son of Giovanni Auditore and Maria Auditore. Until the age of 17, Ezio lived a life of luxury as a member of the Florentine noble class, unaware of his father's allegiance to the Assassin Order. As a youth he was apprenticed to the great banker Giovanni Tornabuoni, presumably to learn the banking trade, so that he could become the leader of the Auditore bank in the future.

In the year 1476, Ezio, his older brother Federico, and friends of the family fought with Vieri de' Pazzi and his gang. Ezio pummeled several members of the opposing gang, but Vieri managed to flee the scene before Ezio could do anything to him. Just before the fight, Ezio received a cut on his lip – caused by Vieri throwing a stone – for which Federico suggested that they visit the local doctor. After looting several people left unconscious by the fight, the two brothers ran across the rooftops to the doctor.

After the doctor tended to his wound, a church nearby caught the eye of the brothers, and Federico suggested a race. Ezio won and together the two looked out over the city. Realizing that they were nearby, Ezio traveled to the house of Cristina Vespucci and spent the night with her. Caught by Cristina's father the morning after, Ezio fled from a group of pursuing guards before meeting with his father at the Palazzo Auditore. Giovanni scolded him, but later softened, admitting that it reminded him of his own youth. He then assigned Ezio the task of delivering several letters to his contacts.

After returning home, Ezio found his distraught sister crying after discovering her boyfriend, Duccio, had been unfaithful. After obtaining his whereabouts, Ezio beat the man and warned him to stay away from his sister. Upon returning to the palazzo again, his little brother Petruccio asked Ezio to collect eagle feathers from the rooftops, as he was ill and couldn't leave the house or get out of bed. After a tiring search for feathers – about which Petruccio was secretive – Ezio's mother secured his services in picking up some paintings from a young artist that she patronized, Leonardo da Vinci. On the walk home, Leonardo struck up a conversation, beginning a friendship between the two young men that would last throughout their adult lives.

The Auditore Execution
"I'll kill you for what you've done!"

- Ezio Auditore to Uberto Alberti after watching his family's execution in 1476.

Upon returning home, Ezio was asked by his father to deliver two letters to contacts of his in the city then retrieve a letter for him from a pigeon coop not far from the house. Ezio agreed, and after two odd encounters with the people he'd delivered the letters to, Ezio retrieved the note from the pigeon coup only to witness guards running across Florence. After completing his errands, Ezio returned home to find the house ransacked, his father and brothers missing and his mother and sister hiding. Learning that city guards had been ordered to arrest Giovanni and all of his sons, Ezio made his way to the Palazzo della Signoria, where his father and brothers were being held. Climbing the building and speaking to his father through his cell window, Ezio was instructed to find a chest hidden in his office, take everything out of it, then deliver a sealed letter to Uberto Alberti, Lorenzo de' Medici's personal assistant and a close friend of the Auditore family. Doing so, Ezio found his father's Assassin robes and the letter containing details of a plot against the city of Florence and the Auditore family. Ezio brought the incriminating documents to Alberti and was assured that his family would be released the following day when the information was presented as evidence of their innocence. Ezio then traveled to the home of Cristina Vespucci, where he spent the night.

The next day, Ezio returned to the Piazza della Signoria to find Alberti presiding over the execution of the Auditores (watched over all the while by a mysterious stranger who turned out to be Rodrigo Borgia who had been present with Alberti the previous night). Giovanni claimed his innocence, citing the information given to Alberti as evidence. But Alberti denied any knowledge of such information. Ezio shouted that Alberti was indeed lying, but his efforts to prevent the execution were ultimately in vain, and he could only watch helplessly as his father and brothers were hanged. When he attempted to charge the scaffold to avenge his kinsmen, Alberti ordered the city guards to murder him. At the urging of one of Giovanni's friends, a thief, Ezio fled the Piazza della Signoria and sought shelter in a brothel, run by the sister of the Auditore housemaid, a courtesan named Paola.

Exacting revenge
"The Auditore are not dead! I'm still here! Me! Ezio! Ezio Auditore!"

- Ezio Auditore, 1476.

Paola, who unbeknownst to Ezio was an Assassin herself, agreed to assist Ezio in his quest for vengeance, teaching him how to survive in the city as an outlaw through pickpocketing and blending in crowds. She further directed Ezio to Leonardo da Vinci to repair the Hidden Blade of the late Giovanni Auditore, but did not notice that Ezio was being watched. At Leonardo's workshop, a guard banged on the door, ordered Leonardo outside, and tried to beat Ezio's location from him. Ezio realized something was wrong and crept up behind the guard, stabbing him from behind.

After Leonardo had thanked him, Ezio sought out and assassinated Alberti in the courtyard of the Basilica of Santa Croce, who was attending Verrochio's latest exhibit. After making his way inside the courtyard, he attacked Alberti in a frenzied rage, stabbing him multiple times in the chest, before proudly proclaiming the survival of the Auditore family through him. After killing Alberti, he took the documents that Alberti stole from Ezio and his father. Ezio also took a letter from Alberti that was supposed to be for his wife and son. Ezio decided he would see that she gets the letter, not wanting to sink to Alberti's level.

Family Ties
"Don't you recognize me? It's a-me, Mario!"

- Mario Auditore greets his nephew upon his arrival at Monteriggioni.

Now the most wanted man in Florence, Ezio fled the city with his mother and sister in the hopes of making their way to Spain, stopping beforehand at the Auditore family's villa in the town of Monteriggioni for shelter. During their travel to Monteriggioni, the three were accosted by Vieri de' Pazzi and his followers, but were saved by the timely arrival of Ezio's uncle, Mario Auditore, and his mercenaries. Mario informed Ezio of the existence of the Assassins, in an obvious attempt to induct him into the Order, revealing that many of his ancestors, including Giovanni, were part of it. However, Ezio refused his ancestry, wishing only to continue his journey to Spain to ensure his mother and sister's safety. Enraged, Mario left Monteriggioni for the city of San Gimignano, where Vieri de' Pazzi had been located, in the attempt to relieve Monteriggioni of continual assaults by his minions. Guilt-ridden and knowing his presence was a primary reason for the ongoing attacks, Ezio traveled to San Gimignano to accept Mario's offer.

When Ezio arrived outside the city, he joined Mario and his mercenaries in their assault, waiting until nightfall to make their way to Vieri de' Pazzi by killing guards patrolling near the city gates. After witnessing a brief meeting between Rodrigo Borgia, Jacopo de' Pazzi, Francesco de' Pazzi and Vieri, Ezio made for his foe; while Mario and his mercenaries kept Vieri's thugs distracted, Ezio challenged and fought Vieri for the last time, eventually overpowering and killing him after a brief duel. Ezio tried to extract a confession from his old enemy, but to no avail as Vieri chose to be snide even to the very end. Infuriated by this, Ezio flew into a rage and insulted Vieri's corpse, continuing until his uncle calmed him down, and reminded him of a tradition of the Assassins: showing respect to those they have killed.

Business with the Pazzi
"I've been sent from Firenze by Il Magnifico to attend to some unfinished business; I'm looking for Jacopo de' Pazzi."

- Ezio, upon returning from Florence after dealing with Francesco de' Pazzi.

Following Vieri's death, Ezio returned to Florence in 1478 to gather information from La Volpe and prevent the planned Pazzi takeover, as well as the deaths of Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother Giuliano. Arriving too late to save Guilano, Ezio managed to prevent the death of Lorenzo, the ruler of Florence, and restored his family's good name. However, the Pazzi had already succeeded in their plan and brought the city into a state of civil war. After escorting Lorenzo to safety at his palazzo, Ezio learned from Lorenzo's lieutenant Poliziano the location of Francesco de' Pazzi at the Piazza della Signoria. As Pazzi and Medici troops battled in the streets below them, Ezio chased down and slew Francesco, although Jacopo de' Pazzi and several other conspirators were able to escape the city. Shortly afterward, the Medici publicly cleared the name of the Auditore family and provided Ezio with the names of the conspirators who had escaped.

Learning that the Pazzi conspirators had fled to San Gimignano, Ezio tracked down and killed Antonio Maffei, Stefano da Bagnone, Bernardo Baroncelli and Francesco Salviati, extracting from each man information on Jacopo de' Pazzi's hiding place. Using the information, Ezio located his quarry and tracked Jacopo to an ancient Roman theatre. Once there, Ezio eavesdropped on a meeting between Jacopo, Rodrigo Borgia and a Venetian merchant, Emilio Barbarigo. After fatally wounding Jacopo for his failure to capture Florence, Borgia revealed that he was aware of Ezio's presence. While Borgia and Emilio fled, Ezio was apprehended by Borgia's bodyguards, but he overpowered and killed them, before swiftly putting the dying Jacopo out of his misery.

Journey to Venice
With the Pazzi conspiracy ended, Ezio returned to Lorenzo in 1480 and declared his success. Before leaving the city for Venice, Ezio was granted a gift; a Medici cape, that would keep the city guards' attention from him. Ezio then made his way to Leonardo's workshop, only to find that he had just left for Venice himself. Meeting with Leonardo in the Appennine Mountains, Ezio accompanied him to the city of Forlì, narrowly avoiding the Templar soldiers sent after them by Rodrigo Borgia.

Eventually arriving in Forlì, one year later, the two made their way to the city docks, where Ezio was refused passage without a pass. It was at this moment that the two heard the screams of a noble lady stranded in the city's wetlands. Ezio swiftly hastened to her rescue and was able to row the woman ashore. The lady introduced herself as Caterina Sforza and coerced the dockman into granting Ezio passage to Venice. Once in Venice, Ezio and Leonardo were given a brief tour of the city by Alvise before Ezio began to seek a way into the Palazzo of Emilio Barbarigo, although this effort proved to be in vain. Suddenly pushed aside, Ezio watched as a gang of thieves attempted and failed to breach the Palazzo, leading Ezio to subsequently aid the thief Rosa, who had been shot through the leg with an arrow. After successfully escaping the city guards, Ezio was introduced to the leader of the Venetian thieves guild, Antonio, and together, they concocted a new plot to kill Emilio Barbarigo and liberate the merchant district.

The plot, taking place during 4 years, was successful and gave Ezio the name of another Templar conspirator – Carlo Grimaldi. A government official and member of the Council of Ten, Carlo was close to Giovanni Mocenigo, the Doge of Venice and hoped to turn him to the Templar cause. Overhearing another meeting between Borgia and Carlo, Ezio uncovered a plot to poison the Doge and replace him with Marco Barbarigo. Returning to Antonio, he sought to find a way into the Palazzo Ducale. The pair searched the front gates, the rear walls and even passing over the Basilica di San Marco; but they were hampered at every turn. Returning to the piazza below, an enraged Antonio remarked that only birds might get into the Doge's palace, reminding Ezio of Leonardo's flying machine, which he had seen on the way to Forlì. After a somewhat unsuccessful test flight, Leonardo came up with a way to ensure that Ezio reached his destination.

After removing the city guards at four separate locations, Antonio's thieves proceeded to light massive bonfires throughout the city, giving Ezio the lift Leonardo's flying machine needed to make it to the Palazzo Ducale. The plan worked, and Ezio breached the Palazzo Ducale, although he was too late to save the Doge. Carlo fled the scene, crying out that Ezio had assassinated the Doge, only to meet his own end at Ezio's hands moments later. However, Ezio was now the most wanted man in Venice and was forced to flee the city guards.

Returning to Leonardo's workshop for help in 1486, Ezio was directed to Sister Teodora's brothel, where Antonio was hiding. Under the cover of Carnevale, Ezio made his way to the brothel and began planning the death of Marco Barbarigo, competing in the four games of the Carnevale to win the golden mask that would gain him entrance to Marco's private party. Ezio was successful but found that Marco's cousin, Silvio Barbarigo and Marco's personal slave-bodyguard, Dante Moro intimidated and bribed the judges into denying him his prize. However, Ezio was successful in regaining the mask from Moro and managed to infiltrate the Doge's personal party and assassinate Marco with an ingenious new weapon, leaving the door open for Agostino, a Barbarigo not involved with the Templars, and an ally of Antonio's, to legitimately become Doge.

With his quest nearly at an end, Ezio tracked down Silvio Barbarigo and Dante Moro, who had occupied the Arsenal with an army of mercenaries. Needing a force of his own, Ezio was directed to find the mercenary leader, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, only to find Silvio's thugs had attacked Bartolomeo's headquarters and captured him and a number of his soldiers. Ezio swiftly located and liberated Bartolomeo and his soldiers; once he learned of Ezio's purpose, the mercenary captain was more than willing to assist in Silvio's destruction. Having tracked the Templars down to the city's Arsenal, Ezio managed to storm the building with the help of Bartolomeo and his men, and killed Dante Moro and Silvio Barbarigo in the ensuing battle. However, he was astonished to learn that the plot to remove the Doge was merely a distraction, so that the Templars could move their vessel to Cyprus, although the reasons for this were unknown to Ezio.

The Spaniard and the Apple
"It's been over ten years since I watched my father and brothers die. Ten years hunting the men responsible. I'm close to the end now, but no closer to knowing what any of it was for!"

- Ezio discusses his life as an Assassin



Two more years passed before word of the Templar vessel reached Ezio once again on his twenty ninth birthday, when Rosa brought him a shipping manifest detailing the return of the ship that very day. Sneaking into the Arsenal, Ezio watched as a Templar soldier carrying a Piece of Eden disembarked from the ship and made his way to a Templar base in the city. Following the soldier, Ezio assassinated and impersonated the guard, carrying the Piece of Eden to a meeting with Rodrigo Borgia himself. Finally able to confront the man ultimately responsible for the deaths of his father and brothers, Ezio criticized the Templar Grand Master for the non-appearance of the supposed "prophet" detailed in the Codex prophecy. Borgia responded, proudly naming himself the prophet before engaging Ezio in battle. The battle was short, and Ezio easily bested the Templar. On the backfoot, Borgia called upon the city guards and taunted the Assassin, saying that "his people" had failed to show up.

At this very moment Mario Auditore, Antonio, Paola, Teodora, La Volpe and Bartolomeo d'Alviano appeared, driving off Borgia and revealing themselves to Ezio as Assassins. With the arrival of Niccolò Machiavelli, it was revealed to Ezio that he was in fact the supposed "prophet", and that for the past decade they had all worked together to induct Ezio into the Assassins Order. That night, they all met again and Ezio was formally inducted into the Order.

Time in the Wetlands
"Muori col tuo orgoglio, per quanto vale... Requiescat in pace. (Die with your pride, for what it's worth... Rest in peace.)"

- Ezio Auditore to Ludovico Orsi

Shortly after his induction, Ezio met with Mario and Niccolò, and travelled to Leonardo da Vinci's studio, hoping he could shed some light upon the strange artifact Rodrigo Borgia had dubbed "the Apple". Leonardo examined the unique device, commenting that the metal it was made of should not exist, and that its design was highly advanced despite its age. Briefly touching the Apple, Ezio accidentally activated the device, which started to glow and show strange holographic images. De-activating the device, Niccolò announced that he had arranged for the Piece of Eden to be held in the Rocca di Ravaldino, protected by an ally of the Assassin's, Caterina Sforza. Niccolò and Ezio met with Caterina in Romagna, just outside the city of Forlì. After briefly discussing the Apple, the three made their way back to the city, only to find that it had been invaded by the Orsi brothers: Checco and Ludovico.

As the group fought its way to the city's locked gates, Ezio managed to find another way inside and opened the gates, allowing them to continue their way to the Citadel. Reaching the Rocca di Ravaldino, they found out that two of Caterina’s children, Ottaviano and Bianca, were in the hands of the Orsi brothers, who had recently arrived and begun attacking the Citadel. Repelling the attack, Ezio left the Apple in Caterina's hands, before going to rescue her two children.

Making his way into Romagna, Ezio overpowered the guard detail assigned to imprison Bianca, who directed Ezio to her brother Ottaviano. As Bianca fled back to the city, Ezio made his way to the lighthouse upon which Ottaviano was being held by Ludovico himself. Climbing the tower, Ezio dispatched Ludovico and freed Ottaviano, though not before learning that the kidnapping was a distraction, which had allowed the brothers to steal the Apple. Ezio swiftly tracked down and killed Checco Orsi and his remaining men. Retrieving the Apple, Ezio failed to notice that Checco had stabbed him in the abdomen. Injured, Ezio collapsed to the floor, the Apple rolling from his hand. Before losing consciousness Ezio saw a monk with a missing finger pick up the Apple and walk away, despite Ezio's warnings against doing so.

Caterina’s guards later found Ezio next to Checco’s corpse and returned him to Forlì, where Caterina nursed him back to health. Returned to his senses, Ezio, now bearded, hurriedly explained to Caterina that the Apple had been stolen from him by a man in black. She recognized him for a monk and told Ezio to search for the monk at the church outside the city walls. There was no sign of the monk, but Ezio met with Brother O’Callahan, who told him to continue his search at San Vincenzo, in central Forlì. An abbot there identified Ezio as Stefano de Bagnone's killer and ran away, but was intercepted, and, once convinced he was not about to die, gave Ezio the name of the nine fingered monk: Girolamo Savonarola.

Journey in Spain
"My thirst for vengeance is strong, but my responsibility to the Assassins is stronger still."

- Ezio Auditore, 1491

While trying to locate Savonarola, Ezio was told by a Thief to meet Antonio at the Thieves' Guild in Venice. Upon arriving there, Ezio found Antonio accompanied by another man, Luis de Santángel. Luis was looking for a good "killer" who could oversee a meeting involving Luis' friend Christoffa Corombo, but Ezio expressed no interest. However, when he heard that Rodrigo Borgia was also involved in the meeting, he rushed to Christoffa's location, finding out that it was a trap. However, he managed to save Christoffa, who explained that Rodrigo was interested in his plans to sail west. Soon afterwards, Ezio met with Antonio again, who told him to go see both Luis and Christoffa in the gardens district.

They then told him that the Templars were in possession of Christoffa's atlas, which featured the journey's route. Ezio quickly recovered the atlas and brought it back to Christoffa and Luis. Luis informed Ezio of the presence of Spanish Assassins, who were held captive by the Spanish Inquisitor General, Tomás de Torquemada. Thinking it his mission to rescue them, Ezio temporarily diverged from his goal to reclaim the Apple of Eden and set out to Spain, but not before Antonio gave him the names of two of his contacts.

After arriving in Spain and briefly losing his sword to a thief, Ezio went on to look for one of the contacts. When he arrived at the location, he met a man who called himself Raphael Sanchez and soon after revealed himself to be an Assassin. He informed Ezio of the location of the first captured Assassin, and Ezio rushed to save him. Right before the Assassin could be burned by the Inquisitors, Ezio killed all the guards and freed him. After Ezio's return, Raphael revealed that it was Gaspar Martinez who was ordered to capture the Assassins by Torquemada. Ezio located Gaspar and found him, Torquemada and a guard surrounding a captured Assassin.

Torquemada revealed to the captured Assassin, and indirectly to Ezio, that Rodrigo Borgia had ordered him to capture Assassins in Spain, because they were "non-believers" (in the Catholic religion). After the guard killed the Assassin, the group disbanded and Gaspar was left unguarded. Ezio then met with him and asked him what he knew of the Templars, but Gaspar feigned ignorance and said that they "went away two centuries ago." He fell silently to Ezio's blade, and Ezio acquired a list of six other Assassins' names.

After freeing the first man on the list, Ezio took him back to Raphael, informing the latter of the existence of the list. However, all the remaining Assassins were located in Zaragoza.

Once in Zaragoza, Raphael told Ezio to find the Inquisition's Calficador, Pedro Llorente, whose tribunal met at the far side of town. Arriving there, Ezio found that Torquemada was also present. One of the Assassins was being tried, and after he refused to convert and confess, was killed. Ezio eavesdropped on the ensuing conversation and found out that Torquemada was under orders from Rodrigo Borgia to arrest the Assassins. He hurried to locate the remaining five Assassins. Four of them where held captive inside some catacombs. The last was held inside a church. After securing their safety, Ezio killed Pedro Llorente. Returning to Raphael, he requested to return to Italy. However, Raphael still needed some help against the Inquisitors in Granada. Ezio complied, helping to assassinate a Templar spy in the city and discovering along the way that Luis Santangel was also an Assassin.

Once again he excused himself to return to Italy, but disturbed again by the Templars. He is forced again to fight off the Templars to defend Luis, and informed that Raphael has been captured. Ezio fights to rescue Raphael, then finally infiltrate Torquemada's fortress. Torquemada escapes, but Ezio still have duties for the Piece of Eden and decide not to pursue him, Ezio excuses to finally return to Italy and Telling Luis and Raphael to tell him when Christoffa returns from his journey to find the "New World."

The Bonfire of the Vanities
"There is no book or teacher to give you the answers, to show you the way. Choose your own way! Do not follow me, or anyone else."

- Ezio after Savanarola's death

After Lorenzo de’ Medici's death, Savonarola was able to easily take control over Florence with the Apple of Eden at his command. He taught the population of Florence that personal property and knowledge made the difference between the rich and the poor. Therefore, he burned everything related to the Renaissance in the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Ezio and Niccolò Machiavelli wanted to put a stop to Savonarola's rule with the aid of their two comrades in the city, Paola and La Volpe. Ezio began eliminating the monk's brainwashed followers while Niccolò, Paola, and Volpe organized a riot in the city. Soon after Ezio killed Savonarola's followers, the rioters formed an angry mob and went to the Palazzo Pitti, where Savonarola resided, demanding an end to the bonfires. Savanarola tried to use the Apple to quell the riot, but before he could, Ezio threw a knife at him, knocking the Apple out of his hand. In the ensuing chaos, the Apple was picked up by a guard in service to the Borgia (the Templars had also been trying, without success, to recover the Apple from Savonarola). Ezio followed him, killed him and recovered the Apple. Savonarola was then sentenced to be executed in the same way he had dealt with the city's knowledge: burned at the stake on the Piazza della Signoria. However, Ezio decided that no one should have to die in such agony.

The Assassin leapt onto the execution platform and put Savonarola out of his misery. He then looked at the stunned mob and gave a speech to them, urging them to follow their own path and rely on their own thoughts, not what they were told by the ones in power. He then left with Mario, Niccolò, Paola and La Volpe, ready to uncover the answers hidden within the Apple.

Trip to the Vatican
"I thought... I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much. Requiescat in pace, you bastard!"

- Ezio to Rodrigo Borgia during his first assassination attempt

The following year (1499) saw the Assassins come together once more at the Villa Auditore, with the Piece of Eden and the completed Codex in hand. Using the two objects, they discovered the location of the Vault to be in Rome - specifically, beneath the Vatican. Unfortunately, Rodrigo Borgia had become Pope in 1492, although Mario believed he had only done so to gain access to the Papal Staff, another of the Pieces of Eden. Undeterred, Ezio went to assassinate Rodrigo Borgia.

Fighting his way along the entire length of the Passetto di Borgo, Ezio snuck into the Sistine Chapel and struck at Rodrigo from above. As he was about to deal the killing blow, Rodrigo surprised him by using the Staff to blast him away and drain the energy of those in the room. Since Ezio held the Apple, he was immune to the Staff's effects, and the two engaged in a duel. Ezio repeated history by using the same technique Al Mualim utilized in his duel against Altaïr in 1191, by creating multiple illusional copies of himself with the Apple, and it seemed that Ezio had bested Rodrigo, but the Pope overcame him. Rodrigo then took the Apple and stabbed Ezio in the abdomen, leaving him to die before fleeing into the Vault. However Ezio soon regained conciousness and, following his nemesis to the outside of the Vault, Ezio watched as Rodrigo tried in vain to open it. Laying down his arms, Ezio challenged and defeated Rodrigo in a final brawl, obtaining possession of both the Apple and the Staff, but refusing to take the Borgia’s life, having realized the futility of revenge.

"Killing you won't bring my family back...I'm done."

- Ezio spares Rodrigo's life

Entering the Vault, Ezio stood in shock as he was confronted by a hologram of an individual naming herself "Minerva" and claiming to be one of Those Who Came Before. Ezio was further confounded when the hologram sought to speak to an unseen figure named Desmond Miles, before disappearing abruptly, leaving Ezio with many unanswered questions.

Siege of Monteriggioni
Following his encounter in the vault, Ezio returned to Monteriggioni with his uncle Mario Auditore, who had traveled to Rome to aid his nephew. During their journey, Ezio imparted onto his uncle what he had learned from Minerva, but soon found solace in the fact that his own battles were finally at an end. That evening, Ezio once again retold the events of his encounter in the Vault, this time to Machiavelli, his sister and mother. Machiavelli in turn criticized Ezio for his failure to kill Rodrigo Borgia. That night, unconcerned with Machiavelli's outburst, Ezio returned to his bedchamber to share an intimate night with Caterina Sforza. He soon learned however, that the Borgia threat was far from over.

On January 2nd 1500, Cesare Borgia, the son of Rodrigo, Commander of the Papal armies and a high ranking Templar in his own right, laid siege to Monteriggioni. Taking the Assassins by surprsie, Cesare's forces were quickly able to level half the city before Ezio managed to reach the cannons above the wall ramparts and return fire, destroying many of Cesare's own siege weapons. This was a futile effort on Ezio's behalf in order to get the citizens to safety however, as Cesare's forces managed to breach the city gates, despite the defense put up by Ezio and his uncle. Entering the city, Cesare brought a mortally wounded Mario Auditore and captured Caterina Sforza before him. Seeing his uncle lying on the ground, Ezio ran across the rooftops in a vain effort to reach them, but was shot by an arquebusier upon the city walls. At the same time Cesare "invited" Ezio to come to Rome with a shot of his own firearm; the shot killed Mario.

Ezio, having soon regained consciousness as two of Mario's mercenaries were dragging him, continued to partake in the battle, which had by now spilled into what was left of the city streets. Retreating to the Sanctuary, Ezio and the fleeing civilians fled through a secret passageway that had been hidden behind the statue of Altaïr. After ensuring his mother and sister were safe, Ezio then made his way for Rome. An undetermined amount of time later, Ezio passed out off of his horse however, his wounds having not been treated.



War in Rome
Ezio eventually awoke to find his wound being treated by a stranger, who told him that he had simply been dropped off at her doorstep, the man who had brought him there had also supplied him with a new set of robes. After leaving the house Ezio had his wounds tended by a practiced doctor before setting out to make contact with Machiavelli in the centre of the city. His attention was soon caught, however, by the discussion of a group of guards who were set on injuring an innocent civilian for "causing the Borgia guards trouble.

Following the guards and aiding the distressed civilian, whose wife had recently been executed by a Borgia ally known as Il Carnefice, Ezio got his first taste of life in the city. Making his way up to Il Carnefice's abode, Ezio assassinated him and continued on his way to meet with Machiavelli. From him, Ezio discovered that under the Borgia, Rome had fallen into a state of disrepair and that its citizens were being oppressed by them. Machiavelli also told him of Cesare Borgia, the son of the Templar Grand Master and the man responsible for the death of Mario Auditore.

Together, Ezio and Machiavelli met with Fabio Orsini, an ally of Bartolomeo d'Alviano who had been forced into serving Cesare Borgia. Fabio lent to the Assassins an old storehouse of his on Tiber Island, in the hope that they would find a better use for it. From here, Ezio travelled to the Rosa in Fiore in an attempt to gather the support of the city's courtesans. When he arrived however, he learned that Madonna Solari, the head of the brothel, had been kidnapped by the Cento Occhi, Cesare's hired thugs, and was being held for ransom.

Gathering the funds necessary, Ezio made his way to the kidnappers location, but was double crossed. Madonna Solari was murdered and Ezio attacked. Ezio survived the ambush and returned to the Rose in Fiore to discover his mother and sister there. With no-one to lead them, the courtesans turned to Claudia Auditore to act as their Madonna; Ezio agreed to her appointment, albeit with great reluctance. Ezio then moved on to gather the support of both La Volpe's thieves, who were suffering at the hands of the Cento Occhi, and d'Alviano's mercenaries.

After receiving intelligence reports from Claudia, La Volpe and Bartolomeo indicating the Caternia Sforza was being held in the Castel Sant'Angelo Ezio departed to rescue her, though not before Machiavelli demanded that, should he get the oppertunity, he kill Cesare and Rodrigo.

Infiltrating the castle, Ezio scaled the fortresses double walls and apprehended Lucrezia Borgia, who was holding the keys to Caterina's cell. From there they escaped, making sure they remined undetected, until they had procurred a mount. Fleeing across the Ponte Sant'Angelo Ezio ordered Caterina to ride on whilst he dealt with the pursuing guards; only a timely explosion from within the Castel prevented him from being overwhelmed however. Returning to his base of operations, Ezio decided that in order to free Rome from its Borgia oppression, he must involve those who were being oppressed. Despite Machiavelli's reservations, the two agreed to begin recruiting citizens of Rome into Ezio's new brotherhood, so that the liberation of Rome could begin.

Within a year, Ezio had turned a number of Rome's citizen into Assassin apprentices, as well as adopting several existing members of the Order into his guild; member such as Francesco Vecellio, whose former master had betrayed the Order to save his infant son. The apprentices fought and trained alongside Ezio, as well as undertaking missions to aid their fellow assassins in cities across Europe, and as far a field as Calicut, India. He also had his apprentices by aid him in removing a number of Templar agents, such as Malfatto and Silvestro Sabbatini.

Eventually, Ezio received a surprise visit from his old friend Leornardo da Vinci, who informed him that he had been pressed into providing the Borgia with various forms of advanced weaponry and war machines. Leonardo promised to provide Ezio with the tools necessary to destroy his weapons, albeit at a small monetary cost. Ezio agreed, and throughout his war against the Borgia managed to destroy all of da Vinci's war machines.

Learning that Juan Borgia the Elder, a corrupt cardinal and cousin to Cesare Borgia, was providing Cesare with the financial backing he needed to wage his wars in Italy, Ezio decided to remove this pillar of support. From Claudia's courtesans, Ezio discovered that a local senator, Egidio Troche, was in debt to Juan, and as such provided an avenue of approach. Ezio decided to help Egidio by fending off his attackers and provided to money to settle Egidio's debt. In return, Egidio agreed to lead the assassin to his target. Ezio tailed Egidio to a Borgia captain, where Egidio turned over his money. Ezio then assassinated the captain and took his place. Arriving at the location of a pagan party being hosted by Juan, Ezio handed over the money and proceeded to sneak in undetected. Ezio struck his target from a bench, and then escaped undetected.

Trouble with the French
Following the Banker's death, Ezio travelled to Bartolomeo d'Alviano's barracks, where he soon discovered that Bartolomeo's wife, Pantasilea Baglioni, had been kidnapped by the Baron de Valois, commander of Cesare's french allies in Rome. Despite putting up a valiant defense of his barracks, Bartolomeo saw no feasible way he could secure his wife's safety short of surrendering; Ezio however, had another idea. Eliminating a large number of French soldiers, Bartolomeo's mercenaries took on the guise of a French patrol escorting a defeated Bartolomeo d'Alviano to the Castra Praetoria, the base of operations for Octavian de Valois' forces.

Infiltrating the fortress, Bartolomeo and Ezio came face to face with the Baron, who very nearly killed Bartolomeo were it not for a timely interruption from Ezio. Battle soon broke out, and with Bartolomeo's mercenaries engaging the French forces Ezio was free to pursue the Baron and Pantasilea, eventually freeing her and killing him.

Securing the keys to the Castel
Not long after his victory over the Baron de Valois, Ezio travelled once more to La Volpe Addormentato, where he and La Volpe discussed the latters suspicion that Machiavelli had in fact betrayed the Assassins by guiding the Papal Army to Monteriggioni, and by informing Rodrigo and Cesare to stay away from the Castel during Ezio's infiltration. Ezio disagreed, but promised to look into their being a traitor. La Volpe later informed him that Pietro Rossi, an actor and Lucrezia Borgia's lover, had the key to the Castel and that Cesare intended to kill Pietro over his feelings for Lucrezia. Locating Cesare at one of the city gates, Ezio witnessed the assassination of Francesco Troche, brother of Egidio, by Cesare's personal assassin Micheletto Corella. Ezio then tailed Micheletto, who was to infiltrate a play that Pietro would appear in, and kill him. As he followed him, Ezio had his apprentices discreetly replace those guards Micheletto tasked with partaking in the murder.

Eventually, Micheletto arrived at il Colosseo, the site of the play. Climbing up the outside of the building, Ezio made his way down from the roof to the backstage area below, picking off Micheletto's marksmen as he went. Ezio soon struck Micheletto, but spared his life hen he learned that Pietro had been poisoned previously, as a means of insurance. He hurried from the Colosseum, Pietro in his arms, whilst his apprentices covered the retreat. After handing Pietro over to a doctor and receiving the key to the Castel from him, Ezio spotted a thief that he recognised from the siege of Monteriggioni When the thief ran, Ezio gave chase. He quickly caught the thief and discovered that he was in fact the traitor, not Machiavelli. Ezio then raced back to Tiber Island to stop La Volpe from killing Machiavelli, as he had promised to do so previously.

Learning that Cesare's thugs had made their way to the Rose in Fiore, Ezio hurried to protect his family, arriving too late to save them; Claudia had already killed the attackers. Impressed with the kills, Ezio inducted Claudia into the Order, and was in turn elected to the position of il Mentore by Machiavelli, who stepped down to allow Ezio's promotion.

Sede Vacante
With Cesare's supporters in Rome dead, the Brotherhood and it's allies were in command of the city. Ezio was informed that Cesare had returned to Rome, and was meeting with his father in the Castel Sant'Angelo. Once again infiltrating the Castel, Ezio witnessed Rodrigo's attempt to poison his son, only to be murdered in respopnse. As Cesare hurried from the Castel to obtain the Apple of Eden that his father had hidden away, Ezio entered to Rome and gave Rodrigo's body his blessing. He then learned from Lucrezia where Rodrigo had hidden the Apple and raced out of the fortress.

Ezio arrived and obtained the Apple with just moments to spare, as he was soon joined by Cesare and a sizeable contingent of Papal soldiers. Using the Apple, Ezio drove mad those pursuers he did not kill; then in tandem with his fellow assassins worked over the next few months to completely destroy what little support in Rome Cesare still had. Eventually, the Assassins caught up with Cesare himself, who was awaiting reinforcements from Micheletto Corella and his army. Cesare's forces were defeated, although their leader had retreated behind the city gate; he was not safe however, and was quickly arrested by Fabio Orsini on the orders of Pope Pius III. As he was dragged away, Cesare scream that "chain will not hold [him]&hellip;" and that no man would ever kill him.

Despite their victory, Ezio was troubled by Cesare's comments, meeting with Leonardo da Vinci, he confessed his concerns to him. At Leonardo's suggestion, Ezio decided to look into the Apple in order to see if Cesare's threats were true. He quickly let go of the Apple, commenting that he must leave immediately. Before he left however, Ezio left Leonardo a parting gift: a chest full of gold, in recompense for his losing a patron.

Siege of Viana and aftermath


In 1507, Ezio finally tracked Cesare Borgia down. The former Captain General of the Papal Army was leading the forces of his brother-in-law, John III of Navarre, in a siege of the city of Viana. Ezio engaged Cesare on the battlefield, but was almost overwhelmed by Cesare's guards. Narrowly surviving an artillery strike, Ezio chased after Cesare, making his way towards the city. Eventually, having managed to climb one of Cesare's own siege towers, Ezio engaged Cesare in combat a top the city walls. Despite a continual stream of soldiers engaging him, Ezio was able to whittle away Cesare's armor, before throwing him from the city walls.

After the events in Viana, Ezio returned to Rome and hid the Apple of Eden inside a vault beneath the Santa Maria Aracoeli. Later still, a much older Ezio returned to the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore. Here he left a clue to the password that would provide entrance to the Vault, visible only to those who possessed Eagle Vision. The rest of Ezio's life after the siege of Viana has yet to be told.

Personality and Characteristics


Ezio was raised as a young Florentine nobleman, living during the 15th and 16th Century. Unlike his ancestor Altaïr, he was brought up without knowing of the Assassins' existence, or of his heritage. A seducer of women and a playful man, Ezio possessed acrobatic skills far beyond those of his peers, barring his brother. He came from an affluent background and had many friends until the deaths of his father and brothers drove him out of Florence. Forced to protect his mother and sister, Ezio became an Assassin, exacting revenge on the conspirators who had betrayed his family and plotted to seize both Florence and Venice.

Initially, Ezio allowed his emotions to get the best of him, going so far as to disrespect the corpse of Vieri de' Pazzi just after his death. However, Ezio did manage to gain control of his anger, and by the time he had become a Master Assassin, could control it almost completely. By the time he confronted Rodrigo Borgia, he had become more dedicated to his role as an Assassin, ceasing to use revenge as a motivation. He also spared the lives of targets he thought there was no need to kill, such as Micheletto Corella.

Equipment and skills
"Despite its age, its construction is rather advanced."

- Leonardo da Vinci, commenting on Ezio's hidden blade.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze was both a highly skilled Assassin and adept Grand Master of the Order. Having learned and developed a vast array of skills, such as pick-pocketing, blending, armed and unarmed combat, alternative or multiple weapon attacks, stealth and public assassination techniques, free-running and long-distance combat, he was able to use a variety of weapons including two hidden blades, the longsword, throwing knives and many more. Born with the ability to use Eagle Vision, Ezio could instinctively differentiate friend from foe. After talking to his captive father, he would later inherit his father's Assassins robe, which he would update with various armor and dyes, which he would purchase throughout his life.

An explorer, throughout his quests, Ezio scoured the cities he visited in search of Codex pages and seals from the six Assassins tombs spread across northern Italy. The Codex pages allowed Leonardo da Vinci to upgrade his weaponry, including the addition of a wheel lock firearm and poison needle concealed beneath his left hidden blade.

By collecting the six tomb seals, Ezio gained access to the armor created by his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad which may have later been lost during the Siege of Monteriggioni. He also collected capes that helped him stay incognito. The only exception to this was the cape bearing the Auditore family crest, which made him easily recognizable, due to his family's history.

In 1500, during the Siege of Monteriggioni, Ezio lost most of his equipment, keeping only one of his Hidden Blades. He would later replace it with two new Hidden Blades, each with the Hidden Gun and Poison Blade attachments.

During his time in Rome, Ezio's usual attire would be replaced by a new suit based on elements from both his father's clothing and Altaïr's robes. It is also possible that he obtained the Armor of Brutus after stealing all the scrolls from the Followers of Romulus, but it is never confirmed whether the armor was actually obtained by Ezio or not, as obtaining the armor for full synchronization is not mandatory unlike the Armor of Altaïr.

Ezio has been a very skilled free-runner at a very young age. He possibly had learned how to free-run by the tutoring of his father and/or older brother. Ezio is a very fast runner, being able to sprint very long distances without becoming visibly tired. Although he has aged rather significantly, in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio has become an even faster and more agile free-runner, being aware of all of his surroundings as well as planning his next move very quickly and carefully. His speed and skill has given him a nearly legendary status among the Roman thieves, so far as going to convince some of them that Ezio's free-running skills are impossible for someone his age.

Romantic life
Ezio was known for his good looks, flirtatious nature and predisposition for womanizing. Throughout the latter part of his life being centered around his hunt for Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio shared multiple romantic relationships with a number of different women.

By 1476, Ezio had had many encounters with various unnamed Florentine girls and courtesans before the execution of his family; insulting Vieri de' Pazzi by suggesting that his sister seemed "quite satisfied with the handling he gave her earlier." That year, Ezio was in a permanent relationship of sorts with Cristina Vespucci, against the wishes of her father. Following his street brawl with Vieri de' Pazzi on the Ponte Vecchio, Ezio visited Cristina during the night, despite his brother's request otherwise; he was chased out by her father the next morning, and subsequently had to flee the city guards. Two years later, when Ezio returned to Florence, Cristina was married to one of her suitors, Manfredo d'Arzenta, though she admitted to still loving Ezio. Eight years later, when Cristina and Manfredo travelled to Venice for carnevale, Ezio, posing as her husband, wrote to her asking her to come to the Rio Terra degli Ogniscanti; Cristina complied. As both wore carnevale masks, she did not recognise him until he kissed her. She then took off his mask and asked him how he dared kiss her like that, telling him she never wanted to see him again. When Ezio tried to understand, she explained that if he really loved her, he wouldn't simply have let Manfredo marry her. When Ezio returned to Florence again in 1497, he learns from a wounded Manfredo that he and Cristina have been attacked by Savonarola's men. Ezio tracks down Cristina and kills her assailants. As he proceeds to take Cristina to a doctor, she dies in his arms, after telling him that she wishes that they could have had a second chance together.

Before meeting with Cristina during Carnevale, whilst trying to find a way to Venice, Ezio accompanied his friend, Leonardo da Vinci, to Forlì. He was initially refused passage aboard the ship to Venice, but his fortunes changed after encountering Caterina Sforza, who had become stranded on a small island with no means of escape. Ezio rescued her, and she repaid the favor by granting him passage to Venice. She also told him that the next time he returned to Forlì, it would "be her pleasure" to entertain him. Moments later, after Ezio revealed to his close friend that Sforza was a future conquest and his type of woman, Leonardo informed Ezio of the ladies' identity, and that she was married to the Count of the city.

Also, at some point during his time in Forlì, Ezio encountered a girl named Amelia. During this encounter, Amelia and two of her friends were discussing whether anyone could beat their record in a horseback riding race. Ezio took on the challenge, in return for an intimate encounter with Amelia should he prove successful.

When Ezio arrived in Venice for the first time, an unknown young woman unsuccessfully attempted to pickpocket him. Later the same day, Ezio witnessed the woman and a group of thieves attempting to scale the Palazzo della Seta. The attempt ended in failure, and the girl was shot in the leg by an archer. Ezio intervened, defending her from Emilio Barbarigo's thugs. Upon helping her to get to safety, he learned that her name was Rosa, and that she was a member of the city's Thieves Guild. At first, Rosa's attitude towards Ezio was very aggressive and unfriendly, but after he saved her, she became much more amiable.

While trying to acquire the Golden Mask, Ezio was seen flirting with many of Sister Teodora's Courtesans. After the Carnevale challenges, when Ezio goes up to accept the Golden Mask as his prize for victory, he was accompanied by a Courtesan. After assassinating Marco Barbarigo and seeking sanctuary in the brothel, Ezio was known to have flirted with Sister Teodora, who invited several of her girls to "comfort" Ezio.

In January 1500, Ezio had an intimate encounter with Caterina Sforza, sleeping with her in the Villa Auditore before it was besieged by Cesare Borgia and his army. However, later, upon her rescue from the Castel Sant'Angelo, she hesitantly explained to him that the night they had shared had only been in the name of politics, as she had needed his help in defending Forlì.

Trivia

 * Ezio's Animus database in Assassin's Creed II only details his life before he became an Assassin, holding no information on his life within the Order; his database entry in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood does, however.
 * Both Ezio and Altaïr have similar name meanings and origins. Altaïr means "the flying one," while Ezio means "eagle." Altaïr also comes from the name of the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (which also translates to "eagle").
 * On the back of hood of Ezio's assassin robes in Assassin's Creed II, there is an Assassin logo stitched in. It is quite hard to see as it covers most of the hood however it is visible if you move Ezio close to a wall and turn the camera to his back.
 * Ezio's title was slightly misspelled in Assassin's Creed II: Discovery. In the game, his biography lists him as "Ezio Auditore de Firenze" instead of "Ezio Auditore da Firenze."
 * Just like Altaïr and Desmond, Ezio has a scar on his mouth. It was acquired after the mission "Boys Will Be Boys" during Sequence 1, when Vieri de' Pazzi throws a rock at his face.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, the scar Ezio received from Vieri is on his forehead.
 * Ezio has been seriously injured in battle twice. The first is when Checco Orsi stabbed Ezio in the right side of his lower abdomen during the small cutscene. The second was a gunshot wound he sustained in the left shoulder and back/stomach (bullet went right through) at the siege of Monteriggioni by arquebusiers. Ezio was also stabbed in the left side of his lower abdomen by Rodrigo, however the Armor of Altaïr prevented Rodrigo's attack from doing any serious damage.
 * Even though he has had relations with many women over the course of Assassins Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio seems to have never moved on from Cristina Vespucci, as he thinks about her often throughout Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
 * The only time you can play Ezio shirtless is when fighting in the Fight Club in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
 * If the player chooses to play Sequence 13 before Sequence 12, by clearing the DLC cache, Ezio's beard will disappear until the player kills Checco Orsi.
 * Despite taking place after the Battle of Forlì, in Assassin's Creed: Discovery, Ezio is depicted without a beard.
 * It is stated that Ezio is atheist in Assassin's Creed: Discovery.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, it is revealed that Ezio can speak some French, as there were "a couple of French girls in Firenze."
 * During his infiltration of Baron Octavian de Valois' camp, Ezio is asked, due to his peculiar french accent, what part of France he is from. He replies "Montréal"; Ubisoft Montreal is the company responsible for the Assassin's Creed series.
 * Ezio's wanted poster in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the same as in Assassin's Creed II.
 * In art for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio is shown with two identical bracers for his hidden blades; however, in-game, it is not possible to obtain a bracer for Ezio's right arm that matches the first one for his left.
 * It is still unknown with whom Ezio had a child, but it is assured that he had at least one, since Desmond Miles and Subject 16 are descendants of his.
 * If examined carefully, the player will recognize the difference in free-running between Ezio and Altaïr. In Assassin's Creed II, Ezio's animation motion and style differ from Altaïr's. When switching to the Altaïr costume through the costume menu, Ezio will run just like Altaïr from the first game.
 * Ezio's outfit can be unlocked in Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, via Uplay for 30 points.
 * Ezio's Florentine Noble clothes can be worn again in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, for 20 Uplay points, much like all other outfits, it removes Ezio's beard.
 * A Sackboy version of Ezio's outfit can be purchased for LittleBigPlanet via the PlayStation Store.
 * In PlayStation Home, Ezio's Assassin robe from Assassin's Creed II was a limited edition outfit and could be bought; but it is currently unavailable.
 * Although Ezio received the Assassin's mark on his left hand's ring finger when being introduced in the Order, it is somehow gone in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, though this is probably just an oversight.
 * Neca manufactured two highly detailed figures of Ezio; the white edition includes Ezio in his default robes with two Hidden Blades, the right arm blade however is removable. The black editons includes Ezio with his robes dyed in the Wetlands Ebony fashion and wearing the Helmschmied armor, however unlike the white edition the black only includes one Hidden Blade for the left arm.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio's jaw has fattened slightly and his beard grown significantly.
 * The Auditore cape was lost in the Siege of Monteriggioni and fell in the hands of the Borgia. It is not mentioned or how Ezio recovered.

Notes and references
Ezio Auditore de Florencia