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Giovanni Auditore da Firenze

2015-03-23T08:55:58Z

121.212.132.209: changed date of birth

{{Era|AC2|ACB|PL|2book|ACL|Assassins|Featured}}
{{Quote|Family. Justice. Honor. These are the values guiding my blade. This truth is written in blood, and the shadows are where I strike. I am Giovanni Auditore, and like my ancestors before me, I am an Assassin.|Giovanni Auditore.|Assassin's Creed: Lineage}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = AC2_Giovanni_Render.png
|birth = 3 May 1431 [[Monteriggioni]], {{Wiki|Republic of Siena}}
|death = 29 December 1476 (aged 45) [[Florence]], {{Wiki|Republic of Florence}}
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|affiliates = [[House of Auditore]] [[Assassins]] [[House of Medici]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage|Lineage]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' [[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance|''Renaissance'' novel]] ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Brotherhood]]''
|voice = [[Romano Orzari]]}}
'''Giovanni Auditore da Firenze''' (1431 – 1476) was a [[Florence|Florentine]] nobleman, the head of the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]] in Florence, and is an ancestor to both [[Clay Kaczmarek]] and [[Desmond Miles]], the latter through the [[William Miles|paternal line]].<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

Despite being the head of the [[Auditore International Bank]], working alongside the [[House of Medici|Medici family]], Giovanni's true nature as an [[Assassins|Assassin]] was known only to a few individuals. Raised and trained along with his brother [[Mario Auditore|Mario]] from birth to be an Assassin, Giovanni had been aware of the [[Templars|Templar Order]] for almost all of his life.

Giovanni was also the husband of [[Maria Auditore da Firenze|Maria Auditore]], and father to [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]], [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Claudia]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]]. He sought to induct his children into the Order, but had only revealed his allegiance to his wife before the time of his death; despite this, he had already begun to train his eldest son in the Assassin ways, albeit secretively.

==Biography==
===Early years===
{{Quote|Tu sei un Auditore. Sei un combattente. Perciò combatti! (You are an Auditore. You are a fighter. So fight!)|Giovanni speaking to Ezio at his birth.|Assassin's Creed II}}
The grandson of [[Renato Auditore]], Giovanni was born in [[Monteriggioni]] in 1436, two years after his elder brother Mario. From an early age, both Giovanni and his brother were taught the [[The Creed|ways of the Assassins]], although Giovanni was also tutored in banking and other subjects as well.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> At some point in his younger life in Monteriggioni, Giovanni also explored the [[Auditore Family Crypt]].<ref name="ACPL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - [[Italian Wars: Chapter 3 - Mario Auditore]]</ref>

In time, Giovanni left the [[Villa Auditore|family villa]] and joined his relative [[Ilario Auditore]] in Florence, who served as ''Gonfaloniere'' to Cosimo de' Medici. In 1452, Giovanni met and married Maria de' Mozzi, to whom he revealed himself to be an Assassin. After four years, their first son Federico was born, followed by Ezio in 1459, Claudia in 1461, and Petruccio in 1463.

Around the early 1450s, Giovanni first encountered a young [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], grandson to Cosimo. Lorenzo had fallen into the [[Arno]] river, and would have drowned had Giovanni not jumped in and rescued him. As a result of this event, Lorenzo later became Giovanni's close friend and patron; forging the ties between their families.<ref name="AC2" />

In 1454, Giovanni also aided the members of his Brotherhood in dealing with the [[Shroud of Eden]]. After Mario had uncovered the artifact underneath Monteriggioni, he summoned his brother to bring it out of the city, and into the protection of the Order.<ref name="ACPL" />

Giovanni also eventually revealed his true nature as an Assassin to Lorenzo, and undertook several missions for him behind the backs of his own children. In 1476, Giovanni tracked down [[Rodrigo Borgia]], [[Grand Master]] of the Templar Order, in a Florentine alleyway.

Although Giovanni managed to eliminate two of his [[Guards|bodyguards]] and incapacitate the third, Rodrigo escaped. The Assassin then handed the third guard over to [[Uberto Alberti]], the current ''Gonfaloniere'' of Florence, for questioning.<ref name="ACL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref>

===Pursuing Rodrigo Borgia===
Through torture, the bodyguard revealed that [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]], the Duke of [[Milan]], was to be [[Assassination of Galeazzo Maria Sforza|assassinated]] by the Templars, of which Giovanni was quickly sent to prevent it. Though he unfortunately arrived too late to save the Duke, Giovanni was able to eliminate some of his murderers, while the Duke's bodyguards killed the rest.

[[File:Screen shot 2.1.png|thumb|250px|Giovanni in Venice]]
With all of the Duke's killers dead, Giovanni searched the corpse of [[Giovanni Andrea Lampugnani]], and found a pouch of coins stamped with the winged lion of [[Venice]]. Recognizing the seal, he immediately set off for the city.

Arriving in Venice, Giovanni infiltrated the [[Basilica di San Marco]] and eavesdropped on a group of men conversing in a nearby room. The two men, [[Marco Barbarigo|Marco]] and [[Silvio Barbarigo]], then dispatched a courier, with a message for their master in [[Rome]].

Giovanni chose to pursue the courier, before finally confronting him in a secluded area. After a lengthy battle, he overpowered and pinned down the courier, with his [[Hidden Blade]] held to the man's throat. However, refusing to answer his questions, the courier impaled himself on the blade, leaving Giovanni frustrated, albeit with a letter sealed with the crest of the [[House of Barbarigo]]. From there, Giovanni returned to Florence and presented the letter to Lorenzo, although they found that it was encoded.

[[File:Screen shot 2.12.png|250px|left|thumb|Giovanni speaking with Lorenzo before leaving for Rome]]
That night, Giovanni was summoned to meet with Lorenzo and Uberto. Before leaving, Maria reminded her husband that their son, Ezio, who was watching them from behind a nearby haystack, was becoming suspicious of his banker father having to leave [[Palazzo Auditore|their home]] at night so often. Giovanni promised that he would speak with him soon, and then left.

Arriving at the meeting, Uberto falsely claimed that Father [[Antonio Maffei]] had been unable to decrypt the letter, and that the only course of action was for Giovanni to deliver the letter himself. To this, Giovanni agreed, and headed for Rome with a copy of the letter in hand.

In Rome, he delivered the letter, and followed it until it reached the hands of Rodrigo Borgia. Giovanni then followed Rodrigo into [[Basilica di San Pietro]], where the two finally exchanged words. Rodrigo remarked his respect for the Assassin's skills, and offered him the chance to join the Templar Order, so that he could live to see the "[[New World Order|new world]]."

[[File:Giovanni's fight.jpg|thumb|250px|Giovanni defending himself from the ambush]]
Giovanni refused, and was subsequently attacked by a number of Rodrigo's henchmen. Despite being heavily outnumbered, he prevailed, although a [[Throwing knives|knife thrown]] by Rodrigo wounded him gravely, and allowed the Templar the opportunity to escape.

Giovanni returned home, where his wife tended to his wound. During this time, he confessed to her that he feared the assassination of the Duke of Milan had only been the beginning of a much [[pazzi conspiracy|wider conspiracy]]. Before he could go on however, the two were interrupted by their son Federico, who warned him that Father Maffei had arrived with armed guards.

Asking his son to provide him cover, Giovanni slipped out of the palazzo through a secret passage within the fireplace.<ref name="ACL" />

===Betrayal and execution===
{{Quote|You are the traitor, Uberto – and one of them! You may take our lives this day, but we will have yours in return, I swear! We will–|Giovanni's final words.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Intro Uberto v.png|thumb|250px|left|Giovanni introducing Uberto to Ezio on the day of the betrayal]]
At some point after this, Giovanni found evidence suggesting [[Francesco de' Pazzi]] had committed murder, and so he had Uberto Alberti arrest him. As a result, Francesco's son [[Vieri de' Pazzi|Vieri]] developed an intense rivalry with his son Ezio.

In 1476, following a brawl between the two on the [[Ponte Vecchio]], Giovanni scolded his son for his behavior, although he noted that it reminded him of himself when he was younger. He then tasked Ezio with delivering a letter to Lorenzo, but was surprised to learn that Lorenzo had left the city for a short while. Undeterred, Giovanni had Ezio deliver several more letters, and had him pick up a letter from a [[Pigeon coops|pigeon coop]] near to the [[Piazza della Signoria]].

While his son was away, however, armed guards sent by Uberto suddenly invaded the Palazzo Auditore. As a result, Giovanni and his two other sons were arrested, and taken to be imprisoned in the tower of the Piazza della Signoria.

Before long, Ezio had managed to climb the clock tower, where Giovanni told him to empty his chest in the room behind the fireplace, and retrieve the evidence exonerating him and his family. Ezio did so, and delivered the evidence to Uberto that night.

[[File:LMS 1 v.png|thumb|250px|Giovanni and his sons at the execution]]
The next day however, Giovanni was shocked to find Uberto and Rodrigo Borgia together, with Uberto denying ever receiving any evidence. Following this, Giovanni and his sons were sentenced to death on the grounds of treason. A horrified Ezio, who witnessed the ordeal from below, cried out that Uberto was lying, but he was unable to prevent his father's hanging.<ref name="AC2" />

Hours later, Giovanni's corpse was to be disposed of in the Arno, though Ezio was able to retrieve his father and his kin's bodies, before giving them a proper funeral by floating them out on the river in pyre ships.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

==Legacy==
{{Quote|My dear sons, dark skies are rising over Florence and time is running low. The enemy is closer than I thought. Now, the final battle is about to unfold. Every man is mortal, every life bounds to an end but certain things will never change. Federico and Ezio, my sons, always remember: '''we''' are the Auditore da Firenze and '''we''' are Assassins.|Giovanni Auditore.|Assassin's Creed: Lineage}}
[[File:Heirloom 2 v.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio retrieving Giovanni's Assassin equipment]]
Despite his death, Giovanni's actions would have lasting consequences for his surviving family members, particularly his son, Ezio Auditore.

Having priorly prepared for a turn of events such as those what ultimately happened, Giovanni had arranged for his live-in servant [[Annetta]] to take his wife and daughter to [[Brothels#La Rosa Colta|her sister's establishment]], where they would be safe. There, Annetta's sister [[Paola]], a [[Courtesans|courtesan]] that Giovanni had previously represented in court and had introduced into the Assassin Order, provided Ezio with some basic training in [[blending]], and gave him the skills necessary to execute his revenge on Uberto Alberti before he left the city.

When Ezio arrived in Monteriggioni, his uncle Mario was shocked to discover that his brother had never told Ezio of his Assassin heritage, or that Giovanni himself had indeed been an Assassin. Despite this, Ezio soon vowed to take up his father's work, which included locating what remained of the [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|Codex]], and to avenge his death with the blood of Rodrigo Borgia and his Templar allies.<ref name="AC2" />

In 1510, Ezio discovered a letter written by Giovanni in 1458, referencing the [[library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], which set in motion Ezio's search for knowledge, and his eventual journey to [[Masyaf]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref>

==Personality and characteristics==
{{Quote|There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of.|Giovanni Auditore.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
[[File:ACPL mario giovanni.png|thumb|250px|Giovanni departing Monteriggioni]]
Giovanni was trained from birth in the Assassin ways, alongside his brother Mario. Despite this mutual upbringing, the two parted ways later on, due to a philosophical divide over how to live their lives.

Giovanni, who had been tutored in banking, preferred to live a calmer life, whereas Mario wished for more action. This difference eventually led to the two brothers losing touch with one another; to such a degree that upon his arrival in Monteriggioni in 1476, Ezio Auditore was unaware who exactly his uncle was.

The divide also affected how Giovanni brought up his children, with none of them explicitly knowing of their heritage; however, although his children were unaware of his true nature, Giovanni did allow others to know of it, trusting in their secrecy. Among these were many of Giovanni's contacts within the [[mercenaries]], courtesans, and [[thieves]] guilds, who knew the Assassin by name, suggesting a certain degree of mutual trust between them.

[[File:Screen shot 3.10.png|thumb|250px|left|Giovanni instructing Federico to protect the family]]
Despite never telling his children of their heritage, Giovanni did work to prepare them for life as an Assassin. By the time of his death, he had already begun tutoring his eldest son, Federico, in the Assassin ways, and was preparing to begin training Ezio as well. A strict father, Giovanni nonetheless showed great affection for his children, and saw a younger version of himself in their antics at times.

===Equipment and skills===
Customarily armed with his Hidden Blade, [[Swords|sword]], [[Short blades|short blade]] and at least two throwing knives, Giovanni was a skilled warrior, who proved himself able to hold his own against multiple opponents in combat. He was also a competent [[Freerunning|free-runner]], much like his sons, and would often use the skill when shadowing a target.<ref name="AC2" />

==Trivia==
*"Giovanni" is an Italian and Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious." The name "Auditore" is the Italian word for "auditor."
*Giovanni knew about Ezio's [[Eagle Vision]], although it is unknown if he too possessed the skill.
*Giovanni left his Assassin outfit behind for Ezio to find; however, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'', it lacked the characteristic eagle's beak on the hood, as well as several other details.
*The sword that Giovanni stored for Ezio was the [[Common Sword|common sword]], but in the cutscene where Giovanni was killed, it was replaced by an old [[Syrian Sabre|Syrian sword]].
*Giovanni died at the age of forty, the same age which Ezio was when he confronted Rodrigo Borgia in Rome.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'', Giovanni was the last member of the Auditore family to be hanged. During this, he called Uberto a traitor and that the deaths of his family would be avenged, among other things, before walking towards the gallows and meeting his fate. In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the Auditore were hanged simultaneously, and Giovanni was killed before he could finish speaking.
*In the novel, Mario told Ezio that Giovanni’s Hidden Blade was a family heirloom, passed down from father to son, and that it "was broken in a...confrontation (Giovanni) was involved in many years ago, but he could never find a craftsman skilled or trustworthy enough to restore it."
**In ''Lineage'', the blade was broken mere days before the beginning of the game.
*The Hidden Blade bracer that Giovanni used and passed on to Ezio was replaced in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' after the [[Siege of Monteriggioni|Fall of Monteriggioni]], and was not seen subsequently. However, many years later, Desmond Miles received a bracer identical to it in [[modern times]].

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180" spacing="small" position="center" captionalign="center">
GiovanniAuditoreDatabaseRender.png|Giovanni's Database image from ''Assassin's Creed II''
giovanni.JPG|Concept art of Giovanni
Giovannilineage2.png|Giovanni in his usual clothes
Giovanniassassin.png|Giovanni in his Assassin robes
Screen shot 2.9.png|Giovanni reporting to Uberto and Lorenzo
Screen shot 13.png|Giovanni with Maria
Screen shot 3.14.png|Giovanni walking the streets of Florence
Last Rites BH 7.png|Giovanni's body being carried by Ezio
Last Rites.jpg|Giovanni and his sons being cremated
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auditore, Giovanni}}
[[Category:1436 births]]
[[Category:1476 deaths]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Italians]]
[[Category:Bankers]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Auditore family|Giovanni Auditore]]
[[Category:Individuals who held Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Ancestors of Desmond Miles]]
[[Category:Ancestors of Clay Kaczmarek]]

Mario Auditore

2015-03-23T08:53:49Z

121.212.132.209: changes date of birth to better soot the battle of Anghiati

{{Era|AC2|ACB|PL|2book|Bbook|Assassins|Featured}}
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Assassins, Templars, Codex pages... This is a lot to take in.|Mario|You need to open your mind, Ezio. Always remember: [[The Creed|Nothing is true, Everything is permitted]].|Mario, while training his nephew.|Assassin's Creed II}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Mario Auditore
|image = char mario.png
|birth = 19 March 1434 [[Monteriggioni]], {{Wiki|Republic of Siena}}
|death = 2 January 1500 (aged 70) Monteriggioni, Republic of Siena
|affiliates = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy|Project Legacy]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Brotherhood]]'' [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Brotherhood'' novel]]
|voice = [[Fred Tatasciore]]}}
'''Mario Auditore''' (1429 – 1500) was the leader of the [[Italian Assassins]] from at least 1476 to his death, a {{Wiki|Condottiero|condottiero}}, and the ruler of [[Monteriggioni]] from 1454 until his death.

During his life, Mario worked with his brother, [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni]], also an [[Assassins|Assassin]], to gather the lost pages of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]]'s [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|Codex]], as well as fortifying and defending Monterrigioni to prevent invasions. Under his rule, Monteriggioni became a flourishing community again.

He was also responsible for the training of his nephew, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], into a fully-trained Assassin. After the training, he continued to provide guidance and advice, up to his death during the [[siege of Monteriggioni]] in 1500, at the hands of [[Cesare Borgia]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Mario was born in Monteriggioni, [[Tuscany]]. On the night of his birth, a Florentine mercenary who had been hired to kill the Auditore family infiltrated the [[Villa Auditore]]. As midwives tended to Mario's mother, the mercenary was found dead in the nursery. The mercenary's death remained a mystery, as Mario was the only person present in the room.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' - "Nascita Del Guerriero"</ref>

When Mario was two, his younger brother Giovanni was born. Mario came from a bloodline of notable Assassins, and therefore also became one, beginning his training at a young age.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

When he was eleven years old, Mario played an important role in the [[Battle of Anghiari]]. While on an expedition to {{Wiki|Monterchi}} with his father, Mario alerted the condottiero {{Wiki|Micheletto Attendolo}} to dust clouds over the road, which signaled a surprise advance on the [[Florence|Florentines]] by [[Milan]]ese troops. Because of this, the attack was stopped, and the Florentines won the battle.<ref name="AC2"/>

However, in contrast to helping the Florentines during that instance, Mario spent most of his life defending Monteriggioni from their persistent attacks on the town.<ref name="AC2"/>

===Ruler of Monteriggioni===
In 1454, after Mario's younger brother Giovanni decided to move to [[Florence]] to pursue a career in banking, and after their father died, Mario became the lone ruler of Monteriggioni. Mario remained at the Villa, and exchanged letters with Giovanni to keep in touch. In one of these letters, Mario defended his decision to stay in Monteriggioni by writing that he ''"preferred fighting like a man, to filling out balance sheets."'' It is insinuated that he rarely saw the family after that.<ref name="AC2"/><ref name="Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - ''[[Italian Wars: Chapter 3 - Mario Auditore]]''</ref>

Under Mario's rule, Monteriggioni experienced a time of prosperity. Mario opened several shops and guilds in the city and greatly increased the city's defenses in order to withstand Florentine attacks. In 1454, he discovered a Florentine informant, [[Luciano Pezzati]], living in Monteriggioni. Alongside his own [[mercenaries]], Mario faced Pezzati and his men.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

Mario dueled Luciano, barely defeating him, and had him dragged back to the Villa Auditore. From the Florentine spy, he discovered that the city was sending the condottiero [[Federico da Montefeltro]] to lead an [[Defense of Monteriggioni|attack on Monteriggioni]]. However, under Mario's leadership, the city was successfully defended and the invasion attempt ended in failure.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

Eventually, Luciano Pezatti confessed the truth behind the siege, that the Florentines had attacked Monteriggioni in search of a [[Pieces of Eden|mysterious artifact]]. Curious as to what this mysterious artifact might be, Mario gathered his architects and historians, eventually discovering that, years before, the city well had once been drained and excavated.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

[[File:PL Warm Welcome.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Mario's injury, which resulted in his scar]]
Together with a miner and some of his men, Mario entered the well. While at first they did not find anything, Mario saw that the miner's flame was flickering while near the back wall, indicating the presence of an opening. Together, they pushed against the wall and found a hidden corridor, filled with various deadly traps. Members of their group lost their lives to the traps and Mario himself was caught by a swinging pendulum, which blinded him in the left eye and left him with a scar across his face.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

Finally, despite their injuries, the group finally found a wooden box within the well, from which a [[Shroud of Eden|presence]] told Mario's men that their ''"pain was temporary"'' and to ''"ignore it."'' Mario's men were certain that the presence would heal their wounds, but seeing as the box had been hidden for so long, Mario believed that there had to be a reason why it was there and that opening it would be unwise.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

At this, Mario's men rebelled, and he was forced to strike them down. Mario was curious as to what the box might contain, but he promised himself not to open it. Instead, he carried it to the Villa Auditore, ignoring the artifact's offers for him to be healed. After storing it temporarily within the villa, he summoned his brother to pick it up, dismissing it as ''"the Brotherhood's problem."''<ref name="Project Legacy"/>

===Family reunion===
In 1476, Giovanni and two of his sons, [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]], were executed under the pretext of treason, by order of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the [[Grand Master]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]], the arch-enemies of the Assassins. After evacuating Florence to get to safety, Giovanni's remaining son Ezio escorted his mother [[Maria Auditore da Firenze|Maria]] and sister [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Claudia]] out of the city and towards Monteriggioni.<ref name="AC2"/>

[[File:RA 4 v.png|thumb|250px|Mario rescuing Ezio, Maria and Claudia]]
Just as the three neared Monteriggioni, they were ambushed by [[Vieri de' Pazzi]] and his soldiers. In the middle of the fight between his nephew and the gang, Mario and his mercenaries arrived and saved them, before he insisted that they accompany him back to Monteriggioni. There, Mario told Ezio of his Assassin heritage, and that he needed to be trained so that he could properly fight and defeat the Templars, as well as protect his mother and sister.<ref name="AC2"/>

Mario then began Ezio's training to become an Assassin, teaching him combat skills such as disarming and countering, military tactics, as well as how to taunt his enemy. In 1478, Ezio announced his decision to take Maria and Claudia to [[Spain]], against Mario's wishes. Due to his pride in his Assassin heritage, Mario stormed off, and left for [[San Gimignano]] before Ezio could rethink his decision.<ref name="AC2"/>

Feeling guilty, Ezio followed Mario to San Gimignano to aid him in killing Vieri de' Pazzi. When Ezio successfully assassinated Vieri and began to abuse the body with insults, Mario stepped in and urged him to have respect towards the dead. Then, addressing Vieri's body, he delivered a short monologue and closed the corpse's eyes.<ref name="AC2"/>

[[File:ACoP 20 v.png|thumb|left|250px|Mario showing Ezio the Codex wall]]
When they returned to Monteriggioni, Mario's men celebrated the victory, and Mario himself showed Ezio the [[Sanctuary]], an alcove for the memory of legendary Assassins, which was hidden under the villa. He also explained to Ezio the importance of the Codex, and talked about a few of the pages that he and Giovanni had collected and translated over the years, before placing the page he had obtained from Vieri onto the Codex Wall.<ref name="AC2"/>

Later on, after having observed Ezio as he placed [[feathers]] in the chest in Maria's [[Villa Auditore#Maria's room|bedroom]] in an attempt to hearten his mother into speaking again, Mario intervened upon seeing Ezio deposit the fiftieth feather. He attempted to discourage Ezio from continuing something that he considered to be a "vain effort," and then departed after informing his nephew that he had left a new weapon at the city [[Blacksmiths|blacksmith]] for him to use.<ref name="AC2"/>

===Acquisition of the Apple===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Uncle?|Mario|Don't worry, nipote (nephew)! You are not alone.|Mario and the other Assassins arrive to aid Ezio.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:He who waits 4.png|thumb|250px|Mario keeping an eye on the Templars]]
In 1488, Mario and some of the other leading Assassins met in [[Venice]], planning to acquire the "[[Ezio's Apple of Eden|Apple]]" from Rodrigo Borgia, knowing that it was to be delivered to him that day. When they found Rodrigo, they saw that they had been beaten to him by Ezio, who was locked in combat with Rodrigo and his men.<ref name="AC2"/>

The other Assassins rushed in to aid him, and after they had defeated Rodrigo's guards and almost killed Rodrigo himself, the Templar leader fled for his life, leaving the Apple behind in the process. Speaking with his nephew, Mario revealed to Ezio that all those who assisted him were members of the Assassins, much to his surprise. That same night, the group met atop a tower in the city, where Ezio was [[Initiation into the Assassin Order|inaugurated]] into the Assassin Order.<ref name="AC2"/>

[[File:Leo work 3.png|thumb|left|250px|Mario and the others upon activating the Apple]]
After securing the Piece of Eden, Mario studied it alongside [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and Ezio. When the Apple was activated, Mario and Niccolò were both affected by the artifact and collapsed, clutching their heads in discomfort. Ezio and Leonardo however remained unfazed, though the two were slightly blinded by the bright flare of light that the Apple emitted.<ref name="AC2 - Battle of Forlì">''Assassin's Creed II'' - ''[[Battle of Forlì (DLC)]]''</ref>

At this, Mario recognized the Apple's potential for great power, and urged Ezio to protect it by taking it to the [[Rocca di Ravaldino]] in [[Forlì]], as the citadel was protected by their ally [[Caterina Sforza]]. When they departed, Mario also invited Leonardo to visit the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni.<ref name="AC2 - Battle of Forlì"/>

In 1498, as Ezio worked to free Florence from the rule of [[Girolamo Savonarola]], Mario arrived in the city and witnessed his nephew assassinate the monk, as well as Ezio's accompanying speech to the Florentine people.

===Journey to Rome===
{{Quote|Better in the hands of the earth than in the hands of man.|Mario regarding the Staff.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In December 1499, Mario, Ezio and several other Assassins gathered in the Villa Auditore to find out the prophecy hidden in the Codex. After Ezio had rearranged the pages, the group discovered that they concealed a world map with locations of the [[Temples]]. Ezio concluded that [[Vatican Vault|the nearest vault]] was in the [[Vaticano District|Vatican]], and that Rodrigo Borgia had became Pope so that he could have easy access to the Vault and the [[Staves of Eden|Papal Staff]].<ref name="AC2"/>

[[File:Mass Exodus 6 v.png|thumb|250px|Mario assuring Ezio that he will keep the Apple for him]]
Ezio then left for [[Rome]] to assassinate Rodrigo and enter the Vault, while Mario and his fellow Assassins caused trouble around the city to distract the Papal army's attention. From their confrontation, Ezio spared Rodrigo, but was able to use the combined effects of the Staff and Apple of Eden to enter the Vault. After communicating with [[Minerva]], one of the [[First Civilization]], he left the room, returning to the antechamber.<ref name="AC2"/>

Afterwards, Ezio met up with Mario in the [[Sistine Chapel]], where he commented to his nephew that the Staff was ''"Better in the hands of the earth, than in the hands of man."'' From there, after Ezio had climbed his way up from the handholds in the room, the two of them fought their way back through the Vatican until they reached the [[Tiber]] river.

Once they reached the river, Mario encouraged Ezio to drop the Apple into the waters, but Ezio could not muster the courage to do it. Reassuring his nephew, Mario took the Apple from Ezio and told him that he would keep it in his possession, until the time that he made his decision.<ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

===Siege of Monteriggioni and death===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Uncle... be careful.|Mario|I will.|Mario and Ezio's last conversation.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
Returning to Monteriggioni on horseback, Ezio and Mario made it back to the town by the afternoon of New Year's Day, 1500. As they neared the gates, Mario listened to Ezio as he told him about what had occurred in the Vault, though Mario advised him that – as the foretold events were stated to happen in the future – they need not worry about them for the time being.

Mario also told Ezio about the new cannons that he had installed across the city battlements, after a cannonball startled his nephew when it crashed into the earth nearby.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

As the two rode into town, they were cheered for by the townspeople for their victory in the Vatican, and while Mario returned to the villa, Ezio began to enjoy the new abundance of time he had.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Mario later met with his family, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Caterina Sforza inside the villa to discuss what Ezio had discovered in the vault. Ezio explained to having encountered a "moving painting" of the goddess Minerva, who warned him of the impending catastrophe and hidden temples that may save humanity. But then she spoke to a phantom, [[Desmond Miles|Desmond]], as if he was standing right next to Ezio. To this, Mario pondered what it all meant.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Machiavelli changed the subject, asking of Rodrigo's fate, though Ezio confessed to having spared the Spaniard. In response, Machiavelli stormed out, promising that Ezio's indecisiveness was sure to have consequences, though Mario told his nephew that he did not know why he spared Rodrigo, but that he trusted in Ezio's judgement. Mario also promised that Machiavelli would see reason.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

At dawn on January 2 – Claudia's birthday – Monteriggioni was besieged by the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]], under the command of Cesare Borgia. Mario quickly met Ezio and mentioned that he would keep the Apple safe with him while Ezio stopped the enemy's cannons, with himself leading a frontal assault on the Borgia.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

[[File:Vilified 9 v.png|thumb|250px|left|Mario collapsing before Cesare]]
However, Mario became wounded during the battle, and as he attempted to flee back into the city, he collapsed within the town's gates. He was soon followed by Cesare and his three lieutenants: [[Octavian de Valois]], [[Juan Borgia the Elder|Juan Borgia]] and [[Micheletto Corella]], and as he attempted to regain his feet, Cesare approached him and called out for Ezio's attention.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Holding the Apple in his hand, Cesare then [[Firearms|shot]] Mario in the head as he lay beneath him, killing the Assassin as an "invitation" from Cesare's family to Ezio's, and as an incentive for Ezio to go to Rome.<ref name="Brotherhood"/> Cesare then had Mario decapitated, and his head placed on a pike, which he later showed to Mario's nephew during the latter's escape.<ref name="Brotherhood novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref>

After Mario's death, the town was destroyed, the Villa Auditore was desecrated, and the Assassin Order was forced to relocate to Rome, under the acting leadership of Niccolò Machiavelli.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

==Personality and characteristics==
[[File:Leo work 6.png|thumb|250px|Mario inviting Leonardo to the Villa Auditore]]
Mario dressed in the flamboyant style of the Italian nobility of the Renaissance, and sported long, dark hair that he slicked back neatly. He also owned a scar over his left eye, which he was blind in. He was known as a boisterous man and made no apologies for his passion for fighting and alcohol, though he could be quite cold towards someone when they showed an ignorant attitude.<ref name="AC2"/>

Mario cared deeply for his family, and was extremely proud of his Assassin heritage. From his letter to Giovanni and their differences in fighting styles, it can be assumed that he was often playfully critical of his brother, much like his nephew Federico was with Ezio. He also enjoyed a very good relationship with his nephew, and the two became very close, with Mario often treating Ezio like a son.<ref name="AC2"/>

The [[Assassin insignia]] was embroidered onto the leather of Mario's left shoulder pad, while the [[House of Auditore|Auditore]] coat of arms was stitched onto the cape he wore.<ref name="AC2"/><ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Upon closer inspection, one could also note that Mario often placed his hand on the shoulder of the person he was speaking to, presumably as a sign of closeness or affection.<ref name="AC2"/><ref name="Brotherhood"/>

==Trivia==
*Mario's memories were extracted from the [[genetic memory]] of one of his descendants by [[Abstergo Industries]], and relived by another person in 2012.<ref name="Project Legacy"/>
*Mario believed in {{Wiki|Geocentric model|geocentrism}}.
*The novel ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' described Mario as having a thick black beard, though in ''Assassin's Creed II'' he has only a thin mustache. No mention is made of his scar.
*When he first introduced himself, Mario exclaimed to Ezio that "''It's a-me, Mario!''" which was a [[Easter Eggs#Mario|reference]] to {{Wiki|Mario}} from the ''{{Wiki|Super Mario Bros.}}'' game series, who often said the same line.
*Mario was often referred to as "ubriacone" ("drunkard" in Italian) by the [[House of Pazzi|Pazzi family]].
*Although Mario lived in the Villa Auditore, he was only seen during the memories, or when the fiftieth feather was deposited in Maria's feather box.
*A rare glitch occurred in the memory "[[Homecoming]]." With [[Eagle Vision]] activated, Mario was occasionally not marked with a blue glow, allowing him to be grabbed or attacked.
*In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,'' during the "[[Mass Exodus]]" sequence, Mario could be attacked and killed without any penalty, although it had no impact on the story.
*One of the [[monteriggioni artifacts|artifacts]] Desmond Miles found in Monteriggioni was Mario's longsword embedded in the ground, near a tree.
*At the age of 65, Mario remained a skilled freerunner, as shown during his escape with Ezio from the Vatican. He could also easily perform a [[Leap of Faith]] into the Tiber.
**He also knew the [[Freerunning#Climb Leap|climb leap]] technique, which could be seen if he fell behind and needed to catch up with Ezio. He was one of five characters to know this technique, along with Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, [[Rosa]], [[Franco]], and Ezio himself.
*The name Mario is derived either from Latin Marius, "of the god Mars" or ''mas'', ''maris'', meaning "male."

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
Mario.jpg|Concept art of Mario
NascitaDelGuerriero.jpg|Mario shortly after birth
ACoP 16 v.png|Mario talking to Ezio in the Sanctuary
Play along 3.png|Mario joining Ezio in his fight against Rodrigo
Mob justice 6.png|Mario and Ezio in Florence
Mass Exodus 1.png|Ezio and Mario leaving the Vatican Vault
Mass Exodus 3.png|Ezio and Mario in the Sistine Chapel
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC2}}
{{ACB}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auditore, Mario}}
[[Category:1434 births]]
[[Category:1500 deaths]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Italians]]
[[Category:Condottieri]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Assassin leaders]]
[[Category:Individuals who held Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Auditore family|Mario Auditore]]