People:

Society

Architects - In contrast to the hard, geometric brutalism of Florentine architecture, Roman Renaissance architecture represented a true return to Classical proportion, with buildings that sported classical columns, structural elements and decorative forms, but also integrated new ideas from Florence, like the grand palazzo blocks. Although many of the architects in Rome came from up north, they were inspired by the old ruins, creating an interplay with the Ancient Roman structures throughout the city. Roman architects saw themselves as fulfilling all of human history, creating the essential expression of human will through the perfect cityscape.

Out of this tradition of formalized expression came the great Renaissance architects Bramante and Michelangelo.


Art Merchants - The shops of Renaissance artists were usually small, and dealt mainly in religious decorations for churches or homes. Artists were not considered visionaries as they are today, but were treated merely as crafts men, just like carpenters or blacksmiths. The production of art was usually cooperative.

The head of the shop was the master, who received commissions and oversaw the assembly of the painting. He was expected to be a businessman and turn a profit, usually creating copies of whatever religious paintings were in vogue at the time.

If you take a close look at the holy scenes most artists were forced to paint, the great works attempt to overcome their subject matter to express intangible truths about emotion, life and love.


Banks - With the advent of double entry bookkeeping, which allowed bankers to keep track of their clients' deposits and withdrawals, and the proliferation of many different types of Italian currency into the pool of circulation, banks became an essential part of everyday Renaissance life.

Banks technically couldn't make money on their money, because the Catholic Church forbade the charging of interest, but in practice this restriction wasn't followed by bankers, or even the Vatican, which participated in the banking system and required banks to pay the Pope "gifts" in proportion to the amount of money he had deposited with them. As long as it isn't called "interest", God won't notice, right?


Blacksmiths - Every Renaissance community needed a blacksmith. Swords, locks, pans, knives, nails and armour were all made from metal and all needed to be shaped. In addition, architectural ironwork flourished during the Renaissance as blacksmiths began to apply their practical craft towards making art.


Courtesans - Prostitution was one of the most popular occupations for Renaissance women, whose only other options in most cases were staying with their families or living in a convent. Italian society supported prostitution, and many brothels were regulated by the government. At the end of the 15th Century, cities started to pass laws against prostitution, forcing courtesans to wear specific outfits and separating them from respected society.


Doctors - Diagrams of the human body and the printing press influenced Renaissance medicine greatly, which had in turn been influenced by Arabic medicine during the Middle Ages.

By the 15th Century, science had already begun its slow climb toward becoming more relevant than spirituality in the field of healthcare. However, many people stubbornly clung to old ways, visiting local mystics instead of doctors.

After the plague ravaged Europe in 1350, many doctors dressed in special plague gear to treat patients. To prevent contamination, they wore a cape coated in wax, and a primitive gas mask in the shape of a beak.


Followers of Romulus - There isn't much about the Followers of Romulus in the history books, but from what I've found, they were a pagan cult operating in several abandoned locations underneath Rome. The cult worshipped the mythological founder of the city of Rome, Romulus, who was supposedly raised by wolves. The Followers believed Romulus was part wolf and part man, which explains their retro wardrobe and bad table manners.


Heralds - Proclamations, local laws, news, market days and advertisements were all called out by heralds, since many Renaissance Italians could not read. Special laws had to be put in place to protect them from the crowd, due to the extreme displays of unhappiness following the announcement of tax increases.


Jubilee Performers - Jubilee was supposed to be a year of celebrations every 100 years in which sins and debt were forgiven. In practice, Jubilees were scheduled every 25 years in order to extort money from pilgrims and the whole thing became a devious obstacle course. Four basilicas needed to be visited in order to be forgiven. Simple, right? Wrong. Romans had to make thirty visits to the four basilicas, foreigners fifteen visits. The hapless pilgrims needed to walk through a holy door in each basilica, each of which was unwalled by the Pope or other cardinals using a silver hammer during different days. As the wall in each door collapsed, it injured the clamouring crowd around it, who, undeterred, fought for pieces of the wall. Several hundred pilgrims were trampled to death moving between churches in 1450.

The populace was so traumatized by the insanity of the events unfolding, that performers stayed in the city for several years afterward to help ease Jubilee withdrawal.


Mercenaries - Mercenaries were highly mobile in Renaissance Italy, moving from contract to contract. Professional captains called Condottieri, usually paid for by cities, recruited men for a fixed amount of time. Many of the for-hire soldiers who served in Italy weren't even Italian, coming from places like Germany, Switzerland and Hungary.

In their perpetual struggle to dominate Italy, the Italian states hired mercenaries to wage war against their Italian neighbours, and the soldiers, many of whom had no code of honour, would often rape and sack freely.

When the state that was bankrolling them ran out of money, the soldiers would disband, frequently to be hired to destroy the very city they had just fought to defend.

Some mercenaries were honourable, fighting for a cause they believed in, but men such as these were few and far between. Where they existed, however, they were much sought after.


Tailors - Among Renaissance merchants, tailors belonged to the new middle class and were paid well for clothing the rich in the latest fashions. Many were able to get close to their wealthy clients due to the intimacy of their job, and create lasting ties.


Thieves - Renaissance thieves were usually wanderers who could vanish at the first sign of trouble, making it hard for guards to track them.

Black market business in Renaissance Italy was booming. Muggings in the major cities were fairly common, as were murders. Often, strollers were attacked in the dead of night, killed, robbed, and then rolled into the nearest river or canal. Even if a thief merely stole, rather than killed, the penalties if caught were often unduly harsh. Torture was common. Thieves were put in stocks and sometimes even publically executed.

In order to avoid punishment, thieves often created bonds of trust amongst each other. Each was supposed to tell the rest his dirty secrets, which meant that each thief potentially held his comrades' lives in his hands.


Contacts

Bartolomeo d'Alviano - Date of Birth: 1455
Profession: Condottiero

Born in the town of Alviano in Central Italy, Bartolomeo grew up to be a clever and resourceful soldier. After spending several years in Venice, during which he aided Ezio Auditore in his campaign against Silvio Barbarigo and Dante Moro at the Arsenal, Bartolomeo joined the Orsini family in1496 to fight against the Pope and Cesare, who were attempting to seize Orsini territory.

A few years before Cesare had him killed, the Pope's eldest son, Juan Borgia, the Duke of Gandia, waged an inept campaign against them. At one point during the siege of Bracciano, Bartolomeo sent an ass out of the gates with a sign around its neck reading: "Let me go for I am an ambassador to the Duke of Gandia". The letter roped to its tail contained further insults.

After his victory at Bracciano, Bartolomeo moved to Rome and remarried. Yes, Pantasilea Baglioni was not Bartolomeo's first wife. Oddly enough, he originally paired up with his nominal doppelgänger Bartolomea Orsini, who died during the Borgia assault in 1497. He married Pantasilea the same year and immediately became entangled in a battle with the French faction of Cesare's army, led by the Baron de Valois. Just goes to show that wives may come and go, but battles are forever.

At the end of 1503, Bartolomeo left Rome after being hired by Ferdinand II of Spain to help the Spanish army defeat the French and seize the Kingdom of Naples. The following year, he defeated Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, taking Trieste and Gorizia. Impressed, Venice elected him to the office of Governor General.

Everything was coming up roses for Bartolomeo, until the disastrous Battle of Agnadello in 1509, when he disobeyed orders to avoid combat and directly attacked the French army.

The battle was lost, Bartolomeo was captured and wounded by the French, and the Venetians lost Lombardy, a province it had taken them "eight hundred years to conquer".

Furious, Venice refused to help Bartolomeo despite his claim that the French Commander had stolen "a priceless Venetian artefact" which he was attempting to rescue.

Bartolomeo was kept in French prison until 1513. But, the French, as we all know, are very forgiving. He was sprung from jail to fight for them, managing to defeat the Swiss with only 300 men in 1515.

Later that same year, once restored to his former glory as General of the Venetian Army, he was killed besieging Brescia.

Venice welcomed his body home with a grand ceremony and buried him in the church of Santo Stefano.


Caterina Sforza - Date of Birth: 1463
Profession: Countess of Forli, Noble.

A countess by marriage, Caterina was notorious far before she ever arrived in Forli. Raised in the Court of Milan, she received a classical education while tutored in the art of war by her father, the Duke. At court, Caterina also acquired a passion for alchemy and hunting.

In 1473, when she was 10-years-old, Caterina became engaged to Girolamo Riario the Pope's nephew. They consummated their marriage when she was 14.

Once in Rome, she was heralded as one of the most outgoing nobles at court, while her husband had a reputation of being one of the most ruthless. With the premature death of the Pope's brother, Girolamo gained even more power, securing the titles of Lord of Imola and Forli.

When the Pope died, looters sacked Rome, destroying Caterina's residence. Unafraid, despite being 7 months pregnant, Caterina rode on horseback to the Castel Sant' Angelo and defended the Vatican with cannon fire and soldiers.

In 1484, she moved with her family to Forli. Paid off by someone with a grievance against her husband, the Orsi Brothers killed Girolamo in 1488. As a result, Caterina became the ruler of Forli and Imola.

She wasted no time, winning the favour of nearby rulers, revising the tax system and training the militia herself. Although she advocated peace, when those around her were hurt she dealt fierce vengeance, frequently killing enemies' wives and children in punishment.

In 1499, Cesare, in his quest for territory, decided to return Forli to Papal rule. Side note: The Papacy claimed ownership of most regions in Italy. These lands were leant out to rulers, but Papal troops could march in and reclaim them at any point, much like libraries set out to burn down the homes of those who keep books checked out too long. As Cesare marched toward Caterina, she sent the Pope a friendly letter that had been rubbed with the sores of plague victims. It went downhill from there.

As an assault by papal forces became inevitable, Caterina snuck out of Forli with a small company of soldiers on Christmas Day, 1499, and journeyed to Monteriggioni, seeking armed support from Ezio Auditore.


Claudia Auditore - Date of Birth: 1461
Profession: Noble.

The third child of Giovanni and Maria Auditore, and the first girl in the family. Claudia lived a privileged childhood in Florence high society. After the murder of Giovanni and her two brothers, all that changed. Claudia, Ezio and Maria fled to Monteriggioni and the safety of their uncle Mario's Villa.

Claudia remained in the Villa, caring for her nearly-comatose mother while Ezio set off to avenge the murders. A record book recovered by archaeologists reveals a relatively unexciting existence. Between months spent managing the Villa's finances, brief periods of activity were supplied by Ezio's visits and the renovations she was able to carry out with the money brought back from his travels.

Under her care, the town blossomed, ushering in a new era of prosperity for Monteriggioni. Claudia, however, remained cut off from the world she loved. "To hear of Ezio's adventures only reminds of me of my own lack thereof. This is not the life I dreamed of as a child. Ezio does not understand. He treats me so delicately, I despair of ever emerging from this prison", she writes in one particularly poignant letter, dated July, 1495.


Cristina Vespucci - Date of Birth: 1459
Profession: Student, Noble

Cristina Vespucci was a well-known Florentine beauty and a favourite of painters, most notably of Botticelli, who used her as a model for several of his paintings. Records kept by her father's guards indicate Ezio visited her frequently and that he was "unbelievably dexterous", as the guards were never able to catch him trespassing.

In addition to her looks, Cristina also seems to have been somewhat responsible for jumpstarting the career of her cousin, the namesake of a rather famous landmass. At a dinner party attended by Cristina and, among other illustrious guests, Lorenzo de' Medici, she was reputed to have been in conversation with Lorenzo and Manfedo Soderini about her cousin's brilliance as a sailor.

Well, apparently, she exaggerated his importance slightly to impress Lorenzo, and Lorenzo, charmed by her beauty, agreed to hire him. "Try Amerigo out. I bet after several years you'll name your shipping company after him", she is reported to have joked.

Biggest understatement of the century.


Egidio Troche - Date of Birth: 1436
Profession: Senator.

The eldest of two brothers, Egidio was the son of a Senator who had the bad luck of following in his father's footsteps. Described as a naïve idealist in a letter from his brother, Francesco, Egidio attempted to bring back the era of the Roman commune when the Senate, the Conservatori, stood at the head of a democracy. Problem was, the Papacy wanted Rome all for itself.

As the century came to a close, the Pope seized control of Rome's urban planning, public works and finances, leaving the Conservatori with little more to do than plan festivals. Egidio, seeing his fellow Senators turn a blind eye as the Campidoglio slowly became a living museum, seems to have grown jaded: "Am I the only one in all of Rome who continues to see freedom and justice?" he writes in a letter dated 1494. Records kept at the Rosa in Fiore indicate he began visiting regularly in 1495.

Meanwhile, Egidio's brother Francesco went to work for the Pope as his chamberlain and secretary, becoming food friends with Cesare, such good friends, in fact, that he was called "one of the Borgias' most trusted assassins." A letter sent to the Venetian ambassador by Egidio in 1503 detailing Cesare's war plans for the region reveals his hatred for Cesare and his brother's inability to keep secrets while under the influence.


Ezio Auditore - Date of Birth: 1459
Profession: Assassin.

Well, this experience has been quite the education. Although there's nothing in the history books following Ezio's disappearance from Florence as a teenager after the execution of his father and brothers, we now know that he fled with his mother Maria and sister Claudia to his Uncle Mario's Tuscan Villa.

Trained there as an Assassin, he prepared to hunt down the Templars, the men behind the execution. And hunt them he did, killing them one by one until he reached their leader, Rodrigo Borgia.

With the help of his uncle, and the other Assassins, he discovered Rodrigo's plan to open an ancient vault beneath the Vatican supposedly leading to God himself. Ezio defeated Rodrigo, entered the Vault alone, and communed with a projection of Minerva, a member of an ancient race that existed before humans.

This all sounds very far-fetched when I write it out like that, now doesn't it? Fortunately, we have the Animus records to prove it, so we didn't dream it or anything. Unless we're all in a dream right now...


Fabio Orsini - Date of Birth: 1476 or 1477
Profession: Condottiero.

A condottiero from the fierce Orsini family, Fabio was already fighting by the age of eighteen, entering Montepulciano to help the Sienese. In 1498, he partnered with Bartolomeo d'Alviano against the Savelli, a rival family and joined the dark side, marrying Jeronima Borgia, a cousin of Lucrezia. At first, Fabio seems to help his new in-laws, but then, in 1499, while Cesare is in Romagna, he frees a friend imprisoned in Tor di Nona, suggesting his allegiance to the Borgia may have been wavering.

Once his father Paolo was killed by Cesare, he "fled for prudence", then attacked Micheletto's army and lost, becoming an outlaw raiding the countryside. His notoriety put him on a list of bandits published by the Pope.

He continued to wage war for the rest of his short life, dying of a head wound after the battle of Garigliano in 1504.


Francesco Troche - Date of Birth: 1459
Profession: Chamberlain and Secretary to the Pope.

Senator Egidio Troche's younger brother, Francesco worked for the Vatican and was a trusted agent of the Pope. Among other things, he spied on Lucrezia while she was in the countryside and was sent to the French court to pressure King Louis to support her marriage to Alfonso d'Este (lucky husband number 3, Alfonso managed not to be humiliated or murdered, unlike Lucrezia's previous husbands). Cesare also spirited Francesco to France in 1502 to persuade Louis to abandon support for the Orsini family.

It seems after that they had a bit of a falling out.

As the cherry on the cake, after Micheletto strangled Francesco, Cesare found and killed a nobleman, Jacopo di Santa Croce, for no apparent reason.

Once Francesco's body was floating in the Tiber, Cesare issued a declaration calling for his arrest, claiming he had "fled Rome", an early instance of a savvy politician spinning a story for the press.


La Volpe - Date of Birth: ?
Profession: Thief.

There is almost no trace of La Volpe (The Fox) in the history books. The name's obviously a pseudonym, but for whom is anyone's guess.

After assisting Ezio in Florence with his fight against Savonarola, in 1498 La Volpe disappears from the record once more, although there is a small amount of evidence suggesting that someone fitting his description, with bright violet eyes, was seen at one of the Vatican orgies, lurking in the shadows. According to court records, the day after, several cardinals discovered their purses robbed of all but their bibles.


Leonardo da Vinci - Date of Birth: 1452
Profession: Painter, Inventor, Designer, Architect, Scientist, Engineer

The illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman, Leonardo da Vinci was raised in Tuscany. Like many destined to be superstars, he had no surname, Vinci being the town in which he was born.

At age 14, he was apprenticed to a Florentine painter, Verrocchio, who taught him chemistry, drafting, painting, sculpting and modelling. When he was 20, Leonardo established his own workshop, and then travelled across Italy, eventually painting his grand masterpieces "The Last Supper" in 1498 and "The Mona Lisa" in 1503-1507.

During his travels, Leonardo studied the world with unquenchable curiosity, recording his observations in mirror writing within his notebooks. While under the employ of Ludovico Sforza and then Cesare Borgia, he created designs for a helicopter, tank, naval bomber and a machine gun. He was also an engineer, designing garrisons, cannons, and movable barricades.

Despite this epic list of accomplishments, Leonardo was hounded by his patrons for his chronic procrastination. Pieces frequently took years longer than he anticipated and many were never finished at all.

Leonardo also had a tumultuous love life. Accused of sodomy in 1476, he was most likely homosexual. Salai, his assistant, was accused of stealing and spending too much money on clothes, but was also probably Leonardo's lover. Leonardo painted several pictures of Salai, including his famous "St. John the Baptist", and left "The Mona Lisa" to him when he died in 1519.


Lucrezia Borgia - Date of Birth: 1480
Profession: Noble, Daughter of the Pope.

Raised from childhood to be a pawn in her father's schemes, Lucrezia was married three times to serve the Pope's interests. The first marriage occurred when she was only thirteen, to Giovanni Sforza, to help further the Papal relationship with Milan, but when the Pope turned against Milan, he had no further use for the marriage. Cesare threatened to have Giovanni murdered, and he fled. In order to annul the marriage, the Pope ultimately had Giovanni declared impotent.

With that marriage deflated, the Pope was free to set up another one, this time to Alfonso of Aragon, cementing a partnership with Naples. Cesare hated the nineteen-year-old Alfonso for taking Lucrezia's attentions away from him and, in 1500, he stabbed Alfonso. Despite receiving serious wounds, Alfonso didn't die. He miraculously recovered over the following weeks. Once he had done the impossible and risen from bed, Cesare instructed Micheletto to strangle him. Lucrezia was thrown out of the room and while she ran to the Pope to ask for help, Alfonso was murdered. Note: this was not the first time Cesare had killed a man connected to Lucrezia, he had drowned Pedro Calderon, the Papal Chamberlain, in 1498 for getting close to her.

Lucrezia's third husband, Alfonso d'Este, was very reluctant to marry her, understandably, but the Pope's strategy for central Italy required that he cement relations with Ferrara, so he paid Alfonso's father Ercole d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, 300,000 ducats along with other privileges to secure the match.

The two were married, but they weren't exclusive. Lucrezia slept with the poet Bembo and Francesco II Gonzaga. Their relationship ended when Francesco developed syphilis.

Lucrezia died from complications giving birth to her eighth child in 1519.

"What about those other seven children?" you may ask. Find out next week, on Romance Gone Wrong.


Maria Auditore - Date of Birth: 1432
Profession: Writer, Noble.

"Tomorrow I will make Torta Bolognese. I leave to pick up the eggs and meat from the market and will be back in time to open the bakery as the sun strikes the top of the courtyard. How privileged a life we lead. It is hard to remember on such a day that what is given may also be taken away."

These are the final lines of Maria's diaries.

Born into the powerful banking family, the Mozzi, Maria is one of the most famous historical sources of the time period due to her multi-volume diary, which has been translated by several notable scholars and is on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Now, thanks to the Animus, we know why her diaries ceased. After her husband Giovanni's arrest, during which Maria was mistreated by Florence's guards, she entered a semi-catatonic state. Cared for by Ezio's sister Claudia at the Villa Auditore, she remained silent for years until Ezio brought her a bundle of feathers he had collected during his travels, an activity that her youngest son Petruccio once engaged in. Brought back to life by Ezio's gift, her temperament has been improving steadily ever since.


Mario Auditore - Date of Birth: 1434
Profession: Condoittiero, Noble.

One of several important condottieri patrolling the Tuscan countryside, Mario Auditore was a born leader. He began his military career as a six-year-old, when he played a significant role in the Florentine and Milanese conflict at the Battle of Anghiari. While on an expedition to Monterchi with his father, he alerted the Florentine general Micheletto Attendolo to the appearance of several dust clouds over the road which signalled a surprise advance by Milanese troops. Thanks to Mario, the Milanese attack was foiled and the Florentines won the battle.

Although Mario sided with Florence during Anghiari, for most of his career he defended the interests of his hometown Monteriggioni, derailing Florentine attempts to seize Tuscan territory.

While Mario's younger brother, Giovanni, moved to Florence in 1454 to pursue a career in banking, Mario stayed in the family's villa in Monterggioni, stating in a letter to Giovanni that he "preferred fighting like a man, to filling out balance sheets".

After Giovanni's death, Mario brought Ezio, Claudia and Maria to the family Villa and taught Ezio about the conflict between the Assassins and Templars. Ever since, Ezio and his uncle have been inseparable.


Niccolò Machiavelli - Date of Birth: 1469
Profession: Philospher, Writer, Politician

"Unarmed prophets have always been destroyed, whereas armed prophets have succeeded".

These cynical words were written by Niccolò Machiavelli, one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. Considered a pioneer of Realist philosophy, he believed that all men are evil and will act upon their vicious nature, if given the chance.

The third son of a Florentine attorney, Machiavelli was tutored by his father in grammar, rhetoric and Latin. In 1494, he entered government service as a clerk and an ambassador. Made a member of the Florentine diplomatic council, he was sent to the courts of France, Spain and Rome between 1499 and 1512. It was during this time that he met Cesare. Immediately taken with the young Captain General, Machiavelli wrote: "I can find no fault with him." Machiavelli followed Cesare, learning his approach to war, until 1500, when he became de facto leader of the Assassins.

From 1500-1503, he settled in Rome, although little is known of his activities there.

In 1503, Machiavelli was put in charge of the Florentine militia and the city's defence. He recruited citizens for his militia, preferring men who had a stake in Florence's continued success to dispassionate mercenaries. His strategy seemed to work in 1509, when Florence defeated Pisa.

Machiavelli continued to participate in Florentine government after the Medici family was chased out. But, when the Medici returned, they arrested and tortured him. He was accused of conspiring against them.

Unable to find any wrongdoing, the Medici exiled Machiavelli. He retired to his estate in Santa Andrea, where he wrote his famous works "The Prince", "The Discourses on Livy" and "The Florentine Histories".

Machiavelli died in 1527. His place of burial remains unknown.


Pantasilea Baglioni - Date of Birth: 1476
Profession: Wife.

Although she may look harmless, Pantasilea comes from a long line of fierce fighters. The Baglioni, rulers of Perugia, had been at war with the Oddi family for some time and skirmishes in the squares of the city became an almost daily occurrence. At one point the cathedral was used as a barracks. In 1500, during the marriage of Astorre Baglioni, the Oddi attacked, killing the groom and several others. The Baglioni counter-attacked and several of the Oddi were murdered. The marriage party became a massacre.

Pantasilea was a product of that rough environment; she was smart, unafraid and tough. And, unlike her husband, she had tact.

Pantasilea was known for sharp strategizing: "Whenever that girl encounters resistance, like the waters of the Tevere, she changes cource until she has that for which she came. Now she has you, may you both be better for it", wrote Doge Agostino Barbarigo after learning of Bartolomeo and Pantasilea's marriage in 1498.


Pietro Rossi - Date of Birth: 1470
Profession: Actor.

First an actor in Ercole d'Este's theatre in Ferrara, in 1494, Pietro left the company for Rome after he was caught in bed with an actress playing one of the Three Graces. Unlike the theatre in other countries, Italian troops included women. The argument was that if men in the audience could be exposed to females with all their devilish charms, they would be prepared to resist them in person. Because that's why people go to the theatre, to learn to be more chaste...

Once in Rome, Pietro joined Cardinal Raffaele Riario's theatre, performing the Ancient Roman plays of Seneca, Plautus and Terence, although Classicism doesn't seem to have cooled him down. He appears quite frequently on the registers of the Rosa in Fiore.

Actors.


Targets

Augustine Oberlin - Date of Birth: 1468
Profession: Blacksmith.

I found a small nugget of history about this one. He was a Swiss mercenary who survived several battles while in the employ of the Borgia before retiring to his own business. Here's what Abstergo says in their records: "Auguste Oberlin spreads Borgia propaganda, often making his point with the head of his hammer."

Best to avoid that hammer.


Brother Ristoro - Date of Birth: 1465
Profession: Priest.

A brother of the Order of the Minims, court records show he murdered other members of his order who brought his corrupt practices into question.

Abstergo's servers say: "Brother Ristoro vowed a life of piety and poverty, but practiced neither. A paranoid, dangerous man."

You know, visiting a priest like that might make confession a lot more interesting.


Cesare Borgia - Date of Birth: 1475 or 1476
Profession: Noble, Captain General of the Papal Forces.

Born to Rodrigo Borgia's mistress, Vannozza, Cesare studied law then became a cardinal when he was only eighteen. Meanwhile, his older brother Juan, Rodrigo's favourite, became the Captain General of the Papal forces. Cesare realized that his life as a cardinal would lead to a dead end; his brother was going to get everything. He knew exactly what he had to do. Juan had to go.

By 1499, Juan was dead and Cesare had become Captain General. He married a royal French bride, securing her title and an alliance with King Louis. With the aid of the King's forces, Cesare marched on Romagna.

His ruthless drive for power was unprecedented. Get this: when Cesare conquered Faenza he invited the much-beloved Lord of the city, the gallant seventeen-year-old Astorre III Manfredi, into his army. Astorre and Cesare really hit it off, but Astorre posed a threat to Cesare: he was Lord of Faenza due to his bloodline. So, when Cesare got back to Rome, he had both Astorre and his younger brother drowned by tying rocks to their feet and throwing them in the Tiber.

Cesare also proved to be a brilliant general. He seized the city of Urbino without a fight, through the help of the Pope. The plan was simple: the Pope requested a loan of artillery from the Duke, his supposed ally. Once the Duke had sent the artillery, Urbino was defenseless and Cesare invaded.

A cipher to all around him - at one point Isabella d'Este sent Cesare a hundred masks to congratulate him on a victory - Cesare's motivations were unreadable by his enemies and his actions notoriously brutal.


Donato Mancini - Date of Birth: 1473
Profession: Captain.

A veteran soldier under the Borgia, Donato also served in the city guard. The chroniclers at court describe him as a cold, loyal enforcer and an expert rider.

I'm not able to get in very far, but the Abstergo servers contain a small piece of data about him: "One of Cesare's top horsemen, Donato Mancini's skill is only surpassed by his ego."

That Cesare sure knows how to pick'em.


Gaspar de la Croix - Date of Birth: 1466
Profession: Sniper.

I found this in Abstergo's database: "Gaspar de la Croix is a master weapons engineer as well as an expert marksman."

Although the profession of sniper didn't exist yet in the 16th century, Gaspar was something of a pioneer. His skill with a firearm spared him any close confrontations on the battlefield and Cesare made use of his skill to take down easy targets at the beginning of a fight.


Il Carnefice - Date of Birth: 1473
Profession: Executioner.

There's nothing in the history books about Il Carnefice, so I did a little digging in Abstergo's mainframe. Here's what I found: "A natural ally for the Borgia, Il Carnefice kills to the roar of an approving crowd."

The other small piece of information I could dig up is that he fancies himself as some sort of twisted artist. I guess that explains the crowd bit. I wonder if he does tricks while performing executions, or whether it's all in the subtle way he pulls the lever?