{{Era|AC2|ACB|Renaissance|Bbook|ACL|Assassins}}
{{WPAssassins}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Maria Auditore da Firenze
|image = MAria_Auditore_da_Firenze.png
|birth = 1432 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death = 1504 (aged 71 or 72) [[Rome]], Italy
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[House of Auditore|Auditore]] [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]] ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' (mentioned only)
|actor = [[Claudia Ferri]]
|voice = [[Ellen David]]}}

'''Maria Auditore da Firenze''' (1432 - 1504), born '''Maria de' Mozzi''', was a [[Florence|Florentine]] noblewoman during the [[Renaissance]], and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]]. She was the mother of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], who eventually became the [[Mentor]] of the [[Italian Assassins]].

Born into the noble Mozzi family, Maria liked to blend with "real [[Civilians|citizens]]" when she was younger, leading to her chance meeting with [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]], who later became her husband.

As a member of the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]], Maria continued to fraternize with the lower classes, developing a working relationship with the artist [[Leonardo da Vinci]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
She was born in Florence in 1432 as Maria de' Mozzi into a powerful and opulent family. Her parents strongly protected her from the outside world, which she grew tired of by the age of 16.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

Her parents allowed her to open up a bakery inside the family palazzo. A week later, while in the bakery, Maria met Giovanni Auditore. Wooed by Giovanni, the two developed a close relationship, and married in 1452.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Life as an Auditore===
Following their marriage, Maria went to live with Giovanni in his personal home, the [[Palazzo Auditore]]. Eventually, Maria gave birth to [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]], Ezio, [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Claudia]], and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio Auditore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Additionally, Giovanni became inducted into the Assassin Order, a secret which she helped him keep from their children. Maria herself became inducted into the Order sometime thereafter.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

In 1476, Giovanni, Federico, and Petruccio were arrested by the Florentine government for the crime of treason. When she attempted to stop the [[guards]], Maria was raped, causing her to go into shock.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

The three were tried and hanged, despite Ezio's attempt to prevent their deaths. Maria, who had not spoken since the arrest, was brought to fellow Assassin [[Paola]] alongside Claudia. Maria remained there for a while, until Ezio came to bring them to the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

While there, Maria remained silently sitting in prayer beside her bed for several years, not speaking until Ezio brought her a hundred [[feathers]]. Thanking Ezio for not forgetting about her, Maria presented him with a cape bearing the Auditore family crest. Afterwards, Maria slowly started regaining her temperament.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Later life in Rome===
[[File:EExit 5.png|thumb|left|250px|Maria, Claudia and Ezio during the Borgia siege.]]
In January 1500, after Ezio returned from [[Rome]] to infiltrate [[Vatican Vault|the Vault]], Monteriggioni was [[Fall of Monteriggioni|besieged]] by [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] soldiers under the command of [[Cesare Borgia]]. Maria fled to the [[sanctuary]] beneath the Villa, and waited for Claudia and Ezio to join her.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

From there, the three fled Monteriggioni via a secret passageway. Ezio instructed Maria and Claudia to travel to Florence, where they would be safe, while Ezio would head to Rome to take down the entire Borgia family.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

As Ezio began to ride off, Maria told him to destroy the Borgia. Unknown to Ezio, Maria and Claudia secretly followed Ezio to Rome, desiring to aid him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

[[File:Negotiations 7.png|thumb|250px|Maria with Claudia and Ezio at the Rosa in Fiore.]]
Traveling to the [[Tiber Island headquarters|Assassins' hideout]] on [[Tiber Island]], Maria and Claudia met with the Order's leader, [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], who told them to look for Ezio at the [[Rosa in Fiore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

When they arrived, Ezio was not there, thus they spoke only to the resident [[courtesans]] as they waited for him. Shortly, Ezio arrived with news that the brothel's Madame, [[Madonna Solari]], had been killed.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

The courtesans needed someone to lead them, and Claudia volunteered for the task. Maria helped Claudia in controlling and managing the brothel, instructing her son to aid the girls wherever he could.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Meanwhile, Maria's health slowly grew worse due to a long term illness, until she inevitably died in 1504.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref>

===Legacy===
Maria became the most well known member of the Auditore family to historians, because the diaries she kept until 1476 were translated and put on display in the [[Wikipedia:Uffizi|Uffizi]] gallery in Florence.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

==Trivia==
*Maria seems to be a skilled surgeon, as she is seen stitching up Giovanni's near-fatal wound in ''Assassin's Creed: Lineage''.
*Maria only speaks three times throughout ''Assassin's Creed II'': during Ezio's birth, in the quest "[[Friend of the Family]]," and when given 100 feathers.
*Maria prays for 12-23 years, since all of the locations that have feathers are not unlocked until Sequence 9 of ''Assassin's Creed II''.

==Gallery==

<center><gallery captionalign="left">
File:Zw-mariaauditore.png|Maria's database image.
File:Marialieage1.png|Maria Auditore in the Palazzo Auditore in 1476.
File:Zw-maria-start.png|Maria in 1476.
Friend 2 v.png|Maria talking with Ezio.
File:Zw-maria.png|Maria sitting in her room in the Villa Auditore.
Marie.png|Maria and Claudia in the Rosa in Fiore.
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auditore, Maria}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Lineage Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Novel) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Characters]]