Stefano da Bagnone

"If you think the Lord has any interest in our affairs, you've got another thing coming. But please, by all means, continue to delude yourself if it helps pass the time"

- Stefano expressing his thoughts of the Lord

Stefano da Bagnone (1418 - 1479) was one of the Pazzi conspirators who attempted to murder Lorenzo de' Medici. He was a monk and a secretary to Jacopo de Pazzi, and one of the men whom Jacopo hired to kill Lorenzo.

Pazzi conspiracy
"May the Father of Understanding guide us."

- Stefano da Bagnone and his co-conspirators intone their motto.

Stefano da Bagnone was one of the conspirators against the Medici family, having met with Templar loyalists in 1478, within the ancient catacombs that lay beneath Santa Maria Novella. As one of the mutinous conspirators, Stefano gave his blessing to the Templar plan for the immediate takeover of Florence, which was at that time controlled by Lorenzo de' Medici.

The following morning was a Sunday, and the Medici family went to High Mass in the Duomo along with a crowd of eager citizens. The crowd hid the Templar assassins until it was too late; Lorenzo de' Medici's brother Giuliano was stabbed to death by Francesco de' Pazzi, and Stefano rushed to slice Lorenzo's back, severely injuring his target. He fled before Lorenzo's rescuer could kill him and squirreled himself away in Tuscany, still a willing helper of the Templar organization.

Death
"Nothing to fear I suppose... they meet in the shadows of the Roman God"

- Stefano's last words

While in Tuscany, Stefano sought refuge in the monastery Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Ezio's informants in the countryside of Tuscany gave him the location of the target and a new tool for use in assassination. The Assassin remained undetected as he infiltrated the monastery. The guards disguised as monks outside did not detect his approach, and the Assassin blended with other monks to sidle his way inside. As Stefano was dressed in much the same way as the other priests of the monastery, Ezio was forced to use his eagle vision to locate the conspirator. The target was located as the man explained his beliefs to another priest, attempting to convince him of the nonexistence of God.

Ezio used the small clusters of nearby priests to approach Stefano silently and killed him with his hidden blade, frightening nearby monks into fleeing the area. Ezio had been given a new tool in his arsenal for death; smoke bombs. The sudden clouds of smoke hid his escape into the countryside.

Personality and characteristics
Stefano da Bagnone was cunning and cruel, a great weapon for the Templars as a torturer and an expert at hiding himself from enemies. He hid where he would not be easily found, surrounding himself with innocents that knew not of his true nature. Stefano bore great intelligence and wit which was displayed when the priest disguised his bodyguards as monks. He knew the Assassin intended to locate him and strike him down. He was simply unaware of Ezio's eagle vision and had no idea the Assassin would be capable of discerning his guards from the ordinary monks.

Stefano was also a coward. Despite having copious amounts of cunning and treachery, the priest lacked the virtue of loyalty. He decided to run while Francesco fought alongside his more courageous guards. More evidence of this was his choice to hide in a monastery, a place of holiness and of God, believing that the Assassin would have no ability to strike there.

Unfortunately for Stefano da Bagnone, Ezio was no coward and was not restricted by morals or ethics. Although this plan showed wit and strategic planning, it also displayed signs of cowardice and naivety.

Stefano's white hair was receding to the point of non-existence at the time of his death, leaving a lightly freckled scalp open to the air. His skin was deeply wrinkled with frown lines and age, hands thickly veined. His eyes were light brown and deep-set into his skull, his brow protruding.

Stefano's robes were dark brown and inexpensive, typical of a Renaissance priest. They extended to drape the top of his boots, just long enough to make fast pacing difficult. The top of the robes included a large hood, in which Stefano could hide his face from the public. The priest was tall and unbowed from age, though drastically thin.

Final words

 * Stefano: Now I will see who was right...
 * Ezio: Where is Jacopo?
 * Stefano: Nothing to fear I suppose... They meet in the shadow of the Roman Gods...
 * Ezio: Ora sei libero dalla paura. (Be free of your fear now.) Requiescat in Pace. (Rest in peace.)

Trivia

 * Historically, Stefano da Bagnone was a priest who tried to kill Lorenzo de' Medici. He found refuge with monks, but was arrested on May 3, 1478. His nose and ears were cut off, and he was hanged from the Palazzo della Signoria tower.
 * He is initially shown to be an atheist (by being part of an atheist organization, and openly claiming that God did not exist), but is actually unsure of the truth (as shown in his final words).
 * When Ezio is about to ask the monks in Forlì about Savonarola, they flee from Ezio because he killed Stefano, claiming that "the killer of monks has returned."
 * Before his death, Stefano is seen talking to a devoutly Christian monk. However, once Stefano is assassinated, the monk will try to kill Ezio.

Reference
Stefano da Bagnone