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Leonardo da Vinci

2010-12-15T03:31:57Z

76.111.142.234:

{{Era|AC2|Ren}} {{WP-REAL}}

{{Character Infobox
|name = Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
|image = Leonardo.png
|imgdesc = Leonardo da Vinci in the Animus database.
|birth = 15 April 1452 [[wikipedia:Vinci|Vinci]], [[Italy]]
|death = 2 May 1519 [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]], [[wikipedia:France|France]]
|faction = [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|period = [[Renaissance|Italian Renaissance (15th century)]]
|voice = [[Carlos Ferro]]
}}

{{quote|Ezio! So good to see you! How can I be of service?|Leonardo’s greeting to Ezio|Assassin's Creed II}}

'''Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci''' (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an [[Italy|Italian]] polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, homosexual, anatomist, geologist, botanist, writer, and best friend of the [[Assassin]] [[Ezio|Ezio Auditore]] in the Italian [[Renaissance]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
[[File:Leonardoartwork1.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Leonardo's concept art]]
Leonardo da Vinci was born illegitimately to Messer [[wikipedia:Piero da Vinci|Piero da Vinci]] – an Italian notary – and a peasant woman named Caterina in 1452 and was raised in [[Tuscany]]. By age 14, da Vinci was apprenticed to [[Andrea del Verrocchio|Verrocchio]], the owner of the alleged finest workshop in [[Florence]] where he collaborated with the great painter on his ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism_of_Christ Baptism of Christ]''.

===Florence===
At age 20, Leonardo was titled a master by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild_of_St_Luke Guild of Saint Luke], and opened his first workshop in Florence where he continued to collaborate with his old master. During his time there, he also befriended the [[House of Auditore|Auditore]] family.

In 1476, Leonardo met Ezio Auditore when the latter accompanied his [[Maria Auditore da Firenze|mother]] to pick up some paintings from Leonardo’s workshop. On the way back to the [[Palazzo Auditore]], Leonardo and Ezio conversed about his work, which sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.

After the execution of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni]], [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]], and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio Auditore]], Leonardo met Ezio once again, greeting him with a brotherly embrace. He was then requested by Ezio to repair the [[Hidden Blade]] and was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, despite its old age. After what is apparently several hours of work (as Ezio is shown to have fallen asleep for some time), Leonardo finally finished the repairs to the Hidden Blade. Just before handing the weapon over to Ezio, Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." It is shown that he was simply joking however, as the blade had been modified so that the removal of the finger was no longer necessary. Immediately after this, a Florentine guard took Leonardo into the latter's yard for interrogation, throwing him to the ground and kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts. Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and assassinated him with his new weapon, before hiding the body inside the workshop with others that Leonardo used for anatomical research.

[[File:Leonardo_workshop.jpg|thumb|250px|An overview of Leonardo's workshop.]]

Leonardo and Ezio didn't meet again until 1478, when Ezio visited him with another codex page attained from his uncle [[Mario Auditore]]. He deciphered the page and, while Ezio practiced the new [[Assassination Techniques|assassination techniques]] explained on the page, constructed a second Hidden Blade to be put at his friend's disposal. This was when Ezio inquired about [[Francesco de' Pazzi]], which prompted Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out [[La Volpe]] (“the fox”). After this, Leonardo appeared at several instances in which Ezio simply visited him to decipher codex pages.

After Ezio stopped the [[Pazzi conspiracy]], he received another codex page from [[Lorenzo de' Medici]] and again visited Leonardo in order to have it deciphered. He was astonished by the new [[Poison Blade|blade design]], as it has been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison into their enemies.

Leonardo met Ezio again in the [[Apennine Mountains]] after the fall of the Pazzi Conspirators. He was faced with the problem of a broken [[wagon]] wheel and asked Ezio to lift the carriage, causing him to notice the contraption in the back. This was the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his [[Flying Machine]]. Amused by Leonardo’s idea, Ezio offered to drive, and they set off for [[Romagna]]. During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], threatening their lives all the way through the Mountains. At the end of the trail, Leonardo took the reins and left Ezio to deal with the soldiers. They met back up at the docks in Romagna where they were scheduled to set sail for Venice, after Ezio went through an ordeal involving [[Caterina Sforza]].

===Venice===

[[File:Leonardo's_Flying_machine_Design.jpg|left|thumb|Leonardo's Flying machine drawing]]
Upon arrival in Venice, Leonardo and Ezio were given a tour of the city by a baggage handler by the name of [[Alvise da Vilandino]] before being led to his new workshop. He and Ezio parted ways there with a brotherly embrace.

Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s Flying Machine that he learned of on the way to Romagna in order to invade the [[Palazzo Ducale]] so that he can rescue [[Giovanni Mocenigo|Doge Mocenigo]] from the [[Templar]] [[Carlo Grimaldi]]. After one test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, but was then inspired by a piece of burnt paper floating from the fire. He concluded that in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light a dozen fires across the city which would cause the air to rise, therefore lifting the machine.

After being accused of the murder of the Doge, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a [[Carnevale]] mask so that he wouldn't be noticed as the most wanted man in Venice. He also bore another codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered it contains plans for a small [[Pistol|firearm]] that could be concealed on Ezio's wrist. After testing the pistol, Leonardo gave Ezio the mask he requested and pointed him in the direction of Sister [[Teodora]] and [[Antonio de Magianis]] so that he could plot to assassinate the new Doge: the Templar [[Marco Barbarigo]].

Leonardo and Ezio met again briefly outside the workshop, just after Ezio discovered the Templar ship was returning the next day. Leonardo pointed out several key facts that he discovered piecing together the markings on the backs of the codex pages such as the arrival of a 'prophet' on the day the [[Piece of Eden]] was brought to the floating city (Venice).

In 1488, Ezio, Mario, and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] visited Leonardo to see if he was able to make sense of the Apple which they had successfully obtained from Rodrigo Borgia. To their dismay, he couldn't learn any more about it than the Assassins and, following its accidental activation, it was decided that it should be taken to [[Forlì]] to be kept out of Templar hands. Mario also asked Leonardo to come and visit him at the [[Auditore Family Villa]], which he did at least once, in 1499.

===Rome===
In 1500, Leonardo was forcibly pressed into the service of [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia, [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]], designing several [[War Machines|war machines]] for Cesare's army. Additionally, he was also forced to fashion the ''pistola'' that was used to kill Mario Auditore, and possibly also the ones used by the [[Papal Guards]], and by Cesare in the [[Siege of Viana]]. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, privately informing Ezio of Cesare's plans, and also turning over the locations of the Templars overseeing the war machines.

To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations, often by Leonardo drawing a picture of a hand on a bench as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. Over time, Leonardo agreed to reconstruct a second, smaller Hidden Blade that could fit against a standard glove to replace the one Ezio had lost during the [[Siege of Monteriggioni]], along with a [[Climb Leap Glove|reinforced glove]] to allow Ezio to climb leap, and a forearm-mounted [[Poison darts|poison dart]] launcher. However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, he would need Ezio to monetarily compensate him for the raw materials. After the war machines were finally destroyed, he also agreed to design a [[Parachutes|parachute]] that could also be built by sympathetic Roman [[Tailors]], though his design (or at least the materials used) would not survive the landings, and would need to be replaced after every use.

When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia, Ezio and Leonardo met at the [[Assassins Guild]] on [[Tiber Island]]. Leonardo mourned the need to lock away the Apple, likening it to a masterpiece being hidden away from the world, though he did not oppose Ezio's decision. Additionally, as Leonardo's patron had been arrested and his income was still meager, Ezio turned over a sum of money to his friend, and they parted on good terms.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

===Legacy===
[[File:Leo.JPG|thumb|An in-game model of Leonardo da Vinci.]]
He later worked in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna Bologna] and spent his last years in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France], at the home awarded him by Francis I. He took his most famous painting, the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa]'', with him when he retired to France in 1513. He died May 2, 1519. The exact cause of his death is unknown, but could presumably have been a blood infection, due to him suffering from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout Gout].

Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the Mona Lisa and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Supper The Last Supper], are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, [[File:Mo.jpeg|thumb|left|The Mona Lisa]]{{Era|AC2|Ren}}their fame approached only by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelangelo Michelangelo's] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_of_Adam Creation of Adam]. Leonardo's drawing of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man Vitruvian Man] is also regarded as a cultural icon.
Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survive, the small number due to his constant, and frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques and his chronic procrastination. Nevertheless, these few works, together with his notebooks, which contain drawings, scientific diagrams and his thoughts on the nature of painting, are an invaluable contribution to later generations of artists, only rivalled by that of his contemporary, Michelangelo.
Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualised a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, the double hull and outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics. Relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime, but some of his smaller inventions, such as an automated bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire, entered the world of manufacturing unheralded. As a scientist, he greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering, optics and hydrodynamics.

==Characteristics and personality==
His portrayal in ''Assassin's Creed II'' depicts Leonardo da Vinci as a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio is his best friend, and as such, he treats him like a brother and has taken great risks to protect him, even though he says later in the game that courage is not his strong suit.

Despite being an accomplished and respected artist, as well as deeply curious about the world's wonders, Leonardo da Vinci was also a chronic procrastinator. Most of his commissioned works took years longer than anticipated, and many were never even finished. It is possible that this was because he did not feel his work to be important enough to devote his life to, as when he meets Ezio, he complains that it lacks purpose and he wishes to do something which has more impact on the world, such as architecture. Regardless, when Leonardo is intrigued by something, he becomes insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brings him [[Altaïr|Altaïr Ibn'La-Ahad]]'s [[Codex Pages|Codex pages]] for decryption.

==Trivia==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Focus On|thumb|250px|Leonardo da Vinci - Genius Inventor]]
*All of Leonardo's modifications on previously existing Assassin gear are based on designs detailed in Altaïr's Codex. It is possibly from these that Leonardo also designed some of his other inventions.
*Leonardo and Giovanni Auditore are the only known characters that can decipher and translate Altaïr's Codex.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', like other main characters, Leonardo's appearance does not change throughout the 23 years he is shown in the game, from his first encounter to the decoding of the Codex in the villa in 1499.
*The cut-scene when Ezio visits Leonardo is the same each time (even after Leonardo moves to Venice), except when the Codex pages provide new modifications to Ezio's equipment.
* Interestingly, in author Dan Brown's novel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code The Da Vinci Code], it is suggested that Leonardo da Vinci was the [[Grand Master]] of a secret society known as ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priory_of_sion The Priory of Sion]'', an organization that was allegedly connected with the Knights Templar.
*Historically, Leonardo would later become a close friend and military engineer for Cesare Borgia, son of Rodrigo Borgia.
*When Ezio accidentally activates the [[Apple of Eden]], images similar to Leonardo's later designs for the tank can be briefly glimpsed. This experience may have provided him with the ideas for his later inventions.
*Also, when the Apple is activated, Ezio and Leonardo are able to stand, although blinded by the light. Mario and Machiavelli are crippled by the noise and unable to stand. Perhaps Leonardo is also a descendant of Those Who Came Before.
*Ezio uses a wheel-lock firearm, based on a design found in the Codex pages, which historically wasn't developed until just after the time-frame of the game. Historically, Leonardo designed some of the first wheel-lock firearms.
*Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci," identifying his homeland.
*Many gamers regret not hugging Leonardo in Venice during the quicktime event.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/culture/assassins-creed-virtual-rome-renaissance-scholar-101112.html A Renaissance Scholar Helps Build Virtual Rome, ''Live Science'' article]</ref>
*8 of the 30 collectable [[Paintings]] that are placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by da Vinci.
*At the time of ''Assassins Creed: Brotherhood'', Leonardo had been under Cesare Borgia's patronage from 1502 to 1503. Comments made by designers in an interview at E3 suggest that Leonardo may be a spy for the Assassins working undercover for them as Cesare's military engineer, and his character is developed than in ''Assassin's Creed II''.
[[File:Mapofimola.jpg|thumb|left|Leonardo's map of Imola]]
*A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in ''Assassin's Creed II''; on a wall in the [[Hideout]], in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a Cave of Romulus on the ground.
*In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', after Leonardo mentions his work on the ''Mona Lisa'', Ezio warns him not to allow pretty girls to distract him from making designs for him. His arm around him, Leonardo lightly assures Ezio that women would "provide little distraction" to his work, to which Ezio replies, "Wait, I don't get it." This could imply that Leonardo was homosexual.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150" captionalign="left">
EzioLeo2.jpg|Ezio and Leonardo on the ship to Venice.
Codexleo.png|Ezio hands Leonardo a codex page.
Zw-bof2.png|Leonardo studies the Apple of Eden.
LeonardoJH.jpg|Leonardo as he appears in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''.
Zw-acb-Leonardo-2.png|Leonardo first greeting Ezio in Rome.
Zw-acb-Leonardo-1.png
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinci, Leonardo da}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

La Volpe

2010-12-15T03:29:37Z

76.111.142.234:

{{stub}}
{{Era|AC2|Assassins|Ren}}
{{Character Infobox

|name = La Volpe
|image = Zw-lavolpe.png
|period = [[Italy|Italian]] [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Thieves]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|voice = [[Vito DeFilippo]]
}}
{{quote
|1 = They call me many things: Murderer. Tagliagole ''(Cutthroat)''. Thief. But you may call me La Volpe.
|2 = La Volpe, introducing himself.
}}
'''Gilberto'''<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Renaissance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]''</ref>, or '''La Volpe''' (''The Fox''), as he preferred to be known,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> was the leader of the [[Florence|Florentine ]] and [[Rome|Roman]] [[Thieves]] and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]]. Very little information is known about La Volpe, and any that is seems mythical. Even though his name means the Fox, he is not.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

==Biography==
===Myths===
He was said to have robbed the Papal carriage without any guards noticing him, including the Pope who was obviously sitting inside. One night in Florence, during the year of 1467, he was seen on the rooftops of the [[Palazzo della Signoria]], the [[Palazzo Medici]], and [[Basilica di Santa Croce|the Basilica di Santa Croce]], all at the same time. It is also said that he was an immortal and could see through buildings.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Helping Ezio Auditore===
In 1477, he was informed that [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], the son of the late Assassin [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], was coming to Florence to assassinate the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Francesco de' Pazzi]]. Ezio was told by his friend [[Leonardo da Vinci]] that La Volpe would be able to help him, so Ezio looked for La Volpe in the [[Mercato Vecchio]]. He stumbled upon a thief, who quickly stole his money. Ezio was able to catch up to him though, and La Volpe appeared, saying he was willing to help him. La Volpe lead Ezio to the [[Santa Maria Novella]], where the [[Pazzi Conspiracy|Pazzi conspirators]] were to have a meeting. He waited for Ezio near the sewers where he would emerge from and Ezio told him that they were planning to kill the [[House of Medici|Medici]] during High Mass. La Volpe informed him that it would be disastrous if they would lose [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], but Ezio assured him that he would not die.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Acquisition of the Apple of Eden===
In 1488, La Volpe and some of the other Assassins met in [[Venice]] to acquire the [[First Apple|Apple of Eden]] from [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]]. When they arrived at Rodrigo's location, they saw him fighting with Ezio Auditore. The Assassins quickly rushed to aid him. Eventually, Rodrigo fled and left the Apple behind. Afterwards, they inducted Ezio into the Order.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Bonfire of the Vanities===
In 1494, Florence was taken over by [[Girolamo Savonarola]], who was in possession of the Apple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

In 1497, he and [[Paola]], another Assassin and the leader of the Florentine [[courtesans]], were contacted by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] to help him liberate the citizens after Ezio would assassinate each of Girolamo Savonarola's lieutenants. After all the lieutenants were taken down, La Volpe, Paola, Machiavelli and Ezio gathered in front of the [[Palazzo Pitti]] to see the angry mob stand up to Savonarola. Savonarola, however, tried to control the crowd with the Apple, but it was quickly knocked out of his hand by a knife thrown by the Assassins.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

They again gathered to witness Savonarola's execution, but Ezio thought no one should suffer the pain of being burned alive. Ezio assassinated him before the flames could reach him and gave a speech, saying that he was guided to his own path by "a few strangers": the other Assassins.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Finding the Vault===
In 1499, La Volpe met with the same Assassins in the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]] to unveil the location of [[the Vault]]. They discovered the Vault was located in [[Rome]] and that this was the reason why Rodrigo Borgia had become Pope. They travelled to Rome, where they distracted the Borgia while Ezio infiltrated the [[Sistine Chapel]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Rome===

[[File:Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h54m41s96.jpg|thumb|278px|La Volpe with Bartolomeo d'Alviano and Claudia Auditore waiting for Ezio in Rome]]
After the Assassins returned from Rome, Monteriggioni was besieged by the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]]. As a result, the Assassin [[Mario Auditore]] was killed and some members of the Assassin Order, including La Volpe, travelled to Rome to take care of the Borgia. When Ezio found him in Rome, he was the leader of a Thieves Guild, but he refused to co-operate with Niccolò Machiavelli, calling him a traitor to the Assassin cause.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref> At first, La Volpe believed that Machiavelli had betrayed them to the Borgia, first during the siege of Monteriggioni, and later when the Thieves Guild in Rome was attacked. However, Ezio later finds the real traitor at the [[Colosseum]] and quickly rushes off to stop La Volpe from killing Machiavelli. Ezio arrives just in time to stop him, and when La Volpe realised he was mistaken, he immediately grows warmer to Machiavelli, greeting him as a friend. La Volpe is also seen at [[Claudia Auditore]]'s induction into the Assassin Order.

==Trivia==
*The "La" in La Volpe's name refers only to the fact that "volpe," the Italian word for fox, is a feminine noun. Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean "vixen."
*As there is no record of his actual name, the database files simply note that "La Volpe" is his pseudonym, one he gained since it was said that only a fox could match his cunning.
*In the novel ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'', he called himself "Gilberto," but still preferred to be known as "La Volpe."
*He is shown using a [[Short Blade|butcher's knife]] as his primary weapon.
*Like all other supporting Assassins in the game, La Volpe does not wear the trademark [[Hidden Blade]].
*La Volpe is the only other Assassin besides Ezio who has a hood in ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', one of the most iconic features of the [[Assassins]]. The hood he wears, however, is neither white nor cut in the shape of an eagle's beak.
*His ability to see through buildings likely allowed him to discover the location of Francesco de' Pazzi, which he later relayed to Ezio.
*It should be noted that when Ezio travels with him to Santa Maria Novella, Ezio falls behind and runs out of breath, while La Volpe breathes normally. This seems to suggest that, even though he is older, he has a lot more stamina.
*It should also be noted that La Volpe has accomplished a feat that Ezio cannot, in being seen atop Palazzo Medici (one of the few rooftops in the game that cannot be reached).
*The [[Prowler]] shares certain characteristics with La Volpe; such as the style of his cloak and hood, and the format of his name, Il Lupo or "the Wolf."
*In [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'']], La Volpe does not seem to have aged at all. He actually seems to have fewer wrinkles on his face than in ''Assassin's Creed II''.
*A glitch occurs in the PS3 version of ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', during "The Fighter, the Lover and the Thief" Sequence, wherein La Volpe can be seen in two places at once. At the end of the Thief memory, after rescuing Claudio, La Volpe can be found sitting on a bench next to [[La Volpe Addormentato]]; however, he can also be located on the roof of the building from which he and Ezio spied on Machiavelli at the beginning of the memory.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h45m54s20.jpg|La Volpe along with other Assassins and Assassin Apprentices.
250px-La_Volpe.jpg|La Volpe as he appears in Assassin's Creed II.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
[[Category:Characters|Volpe]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Volpe]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters|Volpe]]
[[Category:Assassins|Volpe]]