Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) was a major city in northern Italy and home of the notable Auditore family during the late 15th Century. During this time, the city was ruled by the venerable Lorenzo de' Medici of the House of Medici.

History of Florence
Florence was founded during the Roman era, in the year 60 BC, although it would be some 1,400 years before it rose to become one of Italy's most important cities. The cradle of the Renaissance, the Medici run city placed a focus on the art and science, as well as being the birthplace of the modern banking system; the city was also home to some of Italy's most notable figures, including Leonardo da Vinci, Boticelli, Michelangelo, Niccolò Machiavelli and the infamous Auditore family. At some point after the year 1291, the Assassin Domenico and his son came to live in Florence, adopting the name of Auditore and becoming a part of the city's nobility.

The city flourished during the reign of Lorenzo de' Medici, and during this reign, great artists, philosophers and others had contributed to the city's development. Various architectural marvels blessed the streets of Florence, such as the Santa Maria Novella, the Piazza della Signoria, Il Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. The beauty of Florence was not immune to the troubles of the real world, however, and like other cities in the regions had enemies. One of the Medici's foremost defenses was the Assassin Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, who often worked on the behalf of Lorenzo de' Medici up until 1476.

However, the presence of the assassin in Florence proved problematic for the Templars, who sought control of the city; organizing the execution of Giovanni alongside his sons Federico and Petruccio, Rodrigo Borgia and the Pazzi family begun plans to assume control of the city. In 1478, the Pazzi attacked Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano de' Medici just before Sunday mass, killing Giuliano and wounding Lorenzo in the neck; saved only by the timely arrival of the sole surviving male Auditore – Ezio; Lorenzo ordered the deaths of Pazzi conspirators, and was quickly given his wish in the form of Francesco de' Pazzi. The city remained in Medici hands.

After some years, the sudden death of Lorenzo de' Medici saddened the city, as it had been said that the entire city was at his funeral, including Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican priest. Following Lorenzo's death in 1492, control of the city passed into Savonarola's hands, who had been using a Piece of Eden to gain control over the masses. Savonarola disagreed with the Renaissance, and preached a return to the medieval way of life and by 1494 had assumed complete control of the city. He remained in control until the year 1498 when the assassin Ezio Auditore returned to his home city and killed the nine lieutenants of Savonarola, before ensuring the death of Savonarola himself.

During Savonarola's reign Florence became "hell on earth"; Savonarola imposed a theocratic and dogmatic regime, instigating the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497. His followers collected and burned all objects that could lead to sin; non-religious books, mirrors, arts, jewels or fine clothing, to name a few. However, following Savonarola's death, the city passed back into the hands of the Medici.

Database entry
Founded by Julius Caesar in 59 B.C.E., Florentia, as it was called by the Romans, quickly became a center of commerce.

After the sacking of Rome, in the 5th Century, the Ostrogoths took over. Under their rule, the city was constantly under attack from the Byzantines, who sent the population level below 1,000. The Lombards came to power in the 6th Century, ending the Byzantine assaults.

Florence grew to a population of 80,000 in the 14th Century, of which 25,000 were working in the wool industry. In 1378, a major revolt of the lower class led to the wool combers rising up and seizing the government of the city. Their progressive, radical democracy lasted for less than 2 months before the upper classes seized control once more, but the revolt so terrified the rich, that a century later it was still discussed in hushed tones, much as the 1960s hippy movement is today.

The Albizzi family became the de facto rulers after the revolt. Worried about the rise of the Medici family, who were newly rich bankers rapidly gaining influence in Florence, Maso and Rinaldo Albizzi imprisoned Cosimo de' Medici and exiled him in 1433. But Cosimo gained influence behind the scenes, and rose to power in 1434, exiling the entire Albizzi family except for Luca, who had been loyal to Cosimo. Luca Albizzi joined the Signoria, the ruling body of Florence, as Gonfaloniere, succeeding Cosimo's old friend Ilario Auditore in 1442.

Under the Medici family, which built impressive public buildings and supported such luminaries as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Botticelli, the Renaissance began with Florence securely at its center.

Landmarks
Aside from the ones listed below, players will also be able to see Basilica di Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Giotto's Campanile and Ponte Vecchio.

Santa Maria del Fiore
The construction of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (also referred to as the Duomo) began in 1296 in the Gothic style, following the design of Arnolfo di Cambio. It was completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The tower is climbable and has a View Point on the very top of it. Also, the interior is accessible as Iltani's Assassin's Tomb. When this side-mission is entered, Ezio needs to climb through the interior of the church, until the lantern on top.

Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, situated just across the main railway station that shares its name. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church. The church, the adjoining cloister, and chapter house contain a store of art treasures and funerary monuments. Especially famous are frescoes by masters of Gothic and early Renaissance. They were financed through the generosity of the most important Florentine families, who ensured themselves of funerary chapels on consecrated ground. In Assassin's Creed II, the basilica houses an Assassin's Tomb.

Oltrarno District
The southernmost area of Florence is unreachable to the player in the main game; wherein attempting to cross a bridge over the river will cause Ezio to desynchronize. Although you cannot reach the other side, map icons for posters will appear there when you are notorious. Several eagle viewpoints are also visible. The Oltrarno district was released as part of the Bonfire of the Vanities downloadable content, along with the sprint jump ability, which allows Ezio to sprint and jump off of flag posts in southern Florence. The sprint jump is only usable here.

Assassination Targets

 * Uberto Alberti; the Gonfaloniere (DNA Sequence 2: Vengeance)
 * Francesco de' Pazzi; Patriarch of the Pazzi Family (DNA Sequence 4: Bloody Sunday)
 * Girolamo Savonarola; monk in control of Florence (DNA Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities)

Trivia

 * Oddly, missing from in front of the main entrance to the Santa Maria del Fiore is the Battistero di San Giovanni, which was built several hundred years before the events of the game.
 * The city also appears in the game as a multiplayer location, and as a location that Ezio can send his Apprentices to for contracts.
 * Florence appears in four of the Cristina missions, which are suppressed memories of Ezio's past.

Appearances

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

Notes and references
Florencia