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Claudia Auditore da Firenze

2010-12-30T06:17:46Z

76.126.51.68: /* Trivia */

{{Era|AC2|Ren}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Claudia Auditore da Firenze
|image = char_claudia.png
|imgdesc = Claudia, as she appears in [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]].
|hideb =
|birth = January 1461 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death =
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[House of Auditore|Auditore]] [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|actor = [[Devery Jacobs]]
|voice = [[Angela Galuppo]]
}}

'''Claudia Auditore da Firenze''' (born 1461) was a [[Florence|Florentine]] noblewoman during the [[Italy|Italian]] [[Renaissance]]. She later became a member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Claudia Auditore da Firenze was born in Florence, the daughter of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni]] and [[Maria Auditore da Firenze]] and sister to [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]], [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

In 1476, Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio were [[Auditore execution|executed]] as they were accused of treason against Florence. In fact, they were executed by the [[Templars]], the sworn enemies of the [[Assassins]], the latter of whom her father was a member of. Following this, her brother Ezio exacted revenge on [[Uberto Alberti]], the city's Gonfalioniere, and left Florence with Claudia and their mother. They fled to [[Monteriggioni]], the city ruled over by their uncle [[Mario Auditore|Mario]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Although Ezio at first meant only to stay in Monteriggioni for a day, he decided it was best to stay at the [[Villa Auditore]] so that he could finish his father's work.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Monteriggioni's treasurer===
Mario assigned Claudia to being Monteriggioni's treasurer, keeping track of all of Monteriggioni's incomes and objects Ezio brought in from the outside.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

She kept on doing this for twenty-three years, with occasional visits from her brother.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> She was quite bothered by the fact that her brother rarely visited her, but she "thought the world of him" nonetheless.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Member of the Assassin Order===
{{dialogue3|Claudia|What?|Ezio|So, my little sister knows how to wield a knife.|And I'm ready to do it again.|Spoken like a true [[House of Auditore|Auditore]].|Claudia and Ezio, after Claudia killed four guards single-handedly.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In January of 1500, Ezio, along with Mario and other family friends were preparing for Claudia's birthday party, but the town of Monteriggioni was besieged by the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]], the most prominent Templar organization, under the command of [[Cesare Borgia]]. As a result, Mario was killed and Ezio left for [[Rome]], the Templars' headquarters, to exact revenge. Ezio told her and her mother to go to Florence, but feeling obligated to take revenge as well, Claudia and Maria followed Ezio to Rome. There, Claudia took control over the [[Rosa in Fiore]] after the former owner, [[Madonna Solari]], was killed. With the use of the courtesans, Claudia was able to find the location of [[Caterina Sforza]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

[[File:Zw-acb-ceremony-4.jpg|thumb|Claudia being initiated into the Brotherhood.]]

Three years later, she assisted her brother in assassinating [[Juan Borgia]] by sending her courtesans to the pagan party that he held. Her courtesans stole [[Egidio Troche]]'s money and brought it back to the brothel. However, several Borgia guards followed them back to the brothel. When Ezio heard this, he was alarmed and immediately went into the brothel, but instead discovered an unharmed Claudia standing above several corpses, holding a knife nonchalantly.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

After the events of the passion play, Claudia, in her brother's recommendation, joined the Order of Assassins, undergoing the initiation process of burning her ring finger as well as performing a [[Leap of Faith]] into the [[Tiber River]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

She later fought alongside Ezio, [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], [[La Volpe]] and [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]] against [[Cesare Borgia]]'s last remaining followers, after which Cesare was arrested.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

==Characteristics and personality==
It is evident that she had been too spoiled by Giovanni, unafraid to be violent when a girl "looked at her boyfriend" and at times immature, such as when Mario assigned her to manage Monteriggioni's finances. Due to her violent streak, Giovanni had to raise her dowry by 1,000 florins because she scared off all of her suitors.

Regardless, Claudia was very capable of handling and keeping track of the town's bankroll and her brother's purchases and earnings. Her capability in business management again came to play when she volunteered - despite Ezio's initial protest - to take over the brothel in Rome when its previous owner was killed, and under her management it turned from a run-down joint to the most popular brothel in Rome, as well as a far more effective intel-gathering arm for the Order of Assassins.

She was also kind with her family, being especially emotional over her father and brothers' execution and her mother's emotional trauma.

==Gallery==
{| align="center"
|<gallery width="auto" perrow="3" style="font-size:95%; padding:0;" widths="170" captionalign="left">
File:CLaudia ..jpg|Claudia, some time before her family's execution.
File:Ezio_and_Claudia.JPG|Claudia speaking about her trouble with [[Duccio]].
File:Ezio_Claudia_Maria.jpg|Claudia reuniting with Ezio after the execution.
File:claudia_in_brotherhood_by_ladyve-d31a3bd.jpg|Ezio talking with Claudia in 1500.
File:vlcsnap-2010-11-12-19h17m08s89.jpg|Claudia with Ezio.
File:Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h54m41s96.jpg|Claudia with Bartolomeo d'Alviano and La Volpe, waiting for Ezio.
File:Zw-acb-claudia-2.jpg|Claudia in her Assassin robes.
</gallery>
|}

==Trivia==
*Claudia, as with most of the characters, appears not to age over the course of the ''Assassin's Creed II''. She remains at the same desk in the Villa Auditore for 23 years. After she complained about being put to work, her only interaction with Ezio was asking if he was "... [there] to look at the book" of finances.
*Claudia was Ezio's only sister, and unlike her brothers who were executed in order for Rodrigo Borgia to prove a point to the Assassins, she was spared, likely because of her gender.
*When Ezio started earning income from Monteriggioni, Claudia stated that she would keep any money past the chest's maximum capacity (based on your collectibles and renovations to Monteriggioni), with no explanation of what she intends to do with all that money.
*Although she is always sitting in the Villa Auditore through most of the game, she, along with Maria, appear in the [[Easter Eggs|"vision"]] Ezio has at his home during the [[Bonfire of the Vanities]].
*There is a glitch is ''Assassin's Creed II'' where, if you manage to bump into Claudia and knock her down, she will be given the voice of one of the guards (since normally knocking her down is not supposed to be possible).
*When Claudia is inducted into the Assassin Order in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', her outfit is almost identical to her ancestor [[Maria Thorpe]]'s outfit in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' and ''Assassin's Creed II''.
*Claudia still looks quite young in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', despite her being the age of 38.
*For some reason she knows how to do a Leap of Faith despite having no Assassin training, though the fact that she killed several trained guards with a dagger and showed no signs of fatigue or injury might prove otherwise.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auditore, Claudia}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Lineage Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassins]]

Niccolò Machiavelli

2010-12-19T00:03:45Z

76.126.51.68: /* War with the Borgia */

{{Era|AC2|Assassins|Ren}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{spoilerhd}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
|image = char_machiavelli.png
|imgdesc = Niccolò Machiavelli, as he appeared in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''.
|birth = 3 May 1469 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death = 21 June 1527 (aged 58)
|period = [[Renaissance]] (15th century)
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|voice = [[Shawn Baichoo]]
}}
{{Quote|I am an Assassin. Trained in the ancient ways to safeguard mankind's evolution. Just like you, and each one of us here.|Machiavelli to Ezio upon their first meeting|Assassin's Creed II}}

'''Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli''' (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an [[Italy|Italian]] philosopher, writer, and is considered one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright, but foremost he was a civil servant of the Florentine Republic.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Niccolò was born in [[Florence]] as the third son of attorney Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli and his wife Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli.

Niccolò was trained and inducted into the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]] at an early age.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

===Acquiring the Apple of Eden===
At age 19, Niccolò and a group of other Assassins gathered in [[Venice]] to acquire the "[[First Apple|Apple of Eden]]" from [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. When the group arrived at Rodrigo's location, they found him fighting with [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], the son of the the late Assassin [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]]. The other Assassins rushed to Ezio's aid, whereas Niccolò watched from the distance.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After the group killed the guards and severely injured Rodrigo, the group revealed themselves to be Assassins to Ezio, which was previously unknown by him. They went on to a tall tower in Venice, where they inducted Ezio into the Order before one after the other performing [[Leap of Faith|Leaps of Faith]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Battle of Forlì===
Niccolò, [[Mario Auditore]], Ezio and [[Leonardo da Vinci]] studied the Apple of Eden in Leonardo's workshop. Upon accidentally activating it, the three concluded that the Apple's power was too powerful and that Rodrigo would be relentless to get it back. Mario figured the best way to protect the Apple would be to take it to the [[Rocca di Ravaldino]] in [[Forlì]], as Forlì was ruled by their ally [[Caterina Sforza]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Niccolò and Ezio met with Caterina in the countryside of [[Romagna]]. As they walked towards Forlì, Caterina explained that she killed her husband [[Girolamo Riario]] because he was a member of the Templar Order and for personal reasons. As they were nearing Forlì, they found a lot of its citizens running away scared. One of them explained that the city was under attack by the [[House of Orsi|Orsi brothers]], the same men Caterina hired to kill her husband. Niccolò concluded that they were hired by Rodrigo to obtain the map Girolamo made of all the [[Codex]] pages. By the time the group arrived at Forlì, the Orsi had already taken control of it and closed the gates. Ezio managed to stealthily enter the city by swimming under a gate in the water and after traversing the wall, opened the city gates.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Niccolò, Ezio and Caterina then proceeded on to the Rocca di Ravaldino, killing any Templar guard that stood in their way. When they finally arrived at the citadel and rid it of all Templars, they found out that the Orsi brothers had taken two of Caterina's children hostage. Ezio went to rescue the children and left the Apple in the hands of Caterina and Niccolò, who remained in the citadel. As Ezio left, the Templars attacked the citadel again and were victorious in retrieving the Apple, which was now in the hands of the remaining Orsi brother [[Checco Orsi|Checco]] (the other having been killed by Ezio to save Caterina's son). Ezio tracked down and killed Checco, but was stabbed himself by the latter as the latter spoke his final words. As he tried to walk back to Forlì, he lost consciousness and saw the Apple being stolen from him by a monk, which he later found out was [[Girolamo Savonarola]]. Hearing of the failure to retrieve the Apple, Niccolò went back to Florence.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Bonfire of the Vanities===
In 1497, Niccolò met with Ezio again in Florence and informed him that Savonarola had taken control of the city by using the Apple. Ezio figured that if he killed all nine of Savonarola's lieutenants, his grip would weaken. Niccolò informed [[La Volpe]] and [[Paola]] of Ezio's plan and with each lieutenant killed, the three encouraged the people to stand up against Savonarola.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

When all the lieutenants were killed, an angry mob swarmed Savonarola's residence, the [[Palazzo Pitti]]. Savonarola tried to calm the crowd with the Apple, but Ezio knocked it out of his hand with a well-thrown knife and one of Rodrigo Borgia's men acquired it, causing Ezio to chase him down and retrieve it. Savonarola was then taken to be burned alive and the Assassins watched from the distance. Ezio figured that no one should die in such agony and killed him before the flames could reach him. After Ezio gave a speech to inspire the crowd to follow their own ways, the Assassins left the scene.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

[[File:Ezio and Niccolò.JPG|thumb|left|Niccolò and Ezio meet in Rome.]]
===War with the Borgia===
{{dialogue|Machiavelli|I intend to write a book about you one day.|Ezio|If you do, make it short.|Ezio and Machiavelli, after settling all their differences.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In December 1499, Niccolò, Ezio, [[Mario Auditore]], [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]], [[La Volpe]], [[Antonio de Magianis]], [[Paola]] and [[Teodora Contanto]], some of the most high-ranking Assassins, gathered in the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]] to discuss the location of "[[the Vault]]". They came to the conclusion that the Vault was located in [[Rome]] and that Rodrigo Borgia had become Pope because the Papal Staff was the [[The Staff|second Piece of Eden]]. All of them left for Rome to distract the Borgia guards while Ezio infiltrated [[Vaticano District|the Vatican]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Niccolò returned to Monteriggioni to listen to what Ezio had discovered inside the Vault. Upon hearing that Ezio spared Rodrigo, he furiously left for Rome to taked down the Borgia once and for all. The following morning, Monteriggioni was [[Siege of Monteriggioni|attacked]] by the Borgia, under the command of [[Cesare Borgia]]. Niccolò's disappearance right in front of the attack aroused some suspicion with La Volpe, who taught that Machiavelli was secretly working for the Borgia. During the attack, Mario Auditore was killed and Niccolò took command over the chaotic Assassin Order, basing themselves on [[Tiber Island]] in Rome.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

Following the attack, Ezio left for Rome as well, but succumbed to a gunshot wound he received during the attack on his journey. Niccolò brought him to a woman living in Rome's countryside, who took care of Ezio's wounds. He also left Ezio a message to come meet him in front of the [[Mausoleo di Augusto]]. Upon meeting Ezio there, Niccolò informed him of Rome's corrupt state and lended him some money to buy himself some equipment. He also 'introduced' him to the [[Followers of Romulus]], who he expected to be working for the Borgia, and showed him a faster way of travelling via the city's sewer system, which they used to get back to their hideout. One of the Assassins' few allies, [[Fabio Orsini]], who had lent the hideout to the Assassins, was waiting for them there.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

In 1503, [[La Volpe]] believed he had gathered enough evidence that Niccolò was working for the Borgia and therefore told Ezio to "do what he had to do". As Ezio was sure that Niccolò wasn't a traitor, he did not kill him. Instead, La Volpe himself left for Tiber Island, ready to assassinate Niccolò. Ezio, however, found out that one of La Volpe's own [[thieves]] was the traitor and managed to inform La Volpe of this, seconds before he would kill Niccolò. La Volpe, pretending that nothing had happened, came back into contact with Niccolò afterwards.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Over the course of three years, Niccolò began to realize that Ezio was the better leader, as he was the one who was actually leading the war against the Borgia and had revived the Order back to its former glory. Thus, after Ezio's sister [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze]]'s initiation into the Brotherhood, Niccolò placed Ezio at the head of the Assassin Order. When Ezio asked why he had a sudden change of heart, Niccolò admitted that he had always stood by Ezio and had helped him in various tasks, saying that he always had faith in him. Ezio in turn made Niccolò his "most trusted advisor". Niccolò planned to write a book about Ezio, with the latter asking that it be short before performing a leap of faith to finally kill the Borgias. Whether he ever did so is unknown.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Florentine militia===
Shortly afterwards, between 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli returned to Florence, where he was responsible for leading the Florentine militia. Strangely, he noted on multiple occasions he distrusted mercenaries, while he in fact led the Florentine mercenaries. His militia managed to defeat [[wikipedia:Pisa|Pisa]] in 1509. However, in August 1512, they were defeated by the [[House of Medici|Medici]], aided by Spanish troops and [[wikipedia:Pope Julius II|Pope Julius II]]. Florence was dissolved as a city-state. Machiavelli was deprived of office in 1512 and arrested in 1513, accused of conspiracy. He was tortured in prison, though he denied involvement in any conspiracy. He was released and he retired to his estate in Sant'Andrea in Percussina.

===Later life===
During his stay at his estate, he wrote ''Il Principe'' ("''The Prince''"), which was one relatively short book, written in a few months. ''The Prince'' was written for a specific reason during a specific time in Italian history (a period when the Medici family had the opportunity to build a strong Italian state in central Italy and drive out the 'barbarians'). He also wrote the ''Discourses of Livy''. This thesis (which was written over a significant period of his life) reflected Machiavelli's more republican notions of government, and is a far more comprehensive thesis than ''The Prince''. Together the ''Discourses'' and ''The Prince'' show us that, in real life, he was an individual who preferred a republican government, but was prepared to accept a principality if it ensured the survival of the state.

Machiavelli died on 21 June 1527, aged 58. His final resting place is the [[Santa Croce]] in Florence.

==Trivia==
*The fact that the in-game Machiavelli was the leader of Florence's [[mercenaries]] doesn't match with his real-life counterpart. In real life, Machiavelli was against the use of mercenaries, because he believed they were unreliable. However it is possible that mercenaries are meant to represent the Florentine militia that Machiavelli commanded in real life. This is supported by the fact that he made complaints about mercenaries in Bonfire of the Vanities.
*Historically, Machiavelli had good relations with the Borgia family. In 1502, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia. He called Rodrigo Borgia/Pope Alexander VI a very successful politician, because he was the prototype of a leader who has no scruples to reach his target, and historically, it is also said that Machiavelli greatly admired Cesare Borgia.
*If Ezio (via the player) chooses to do nothing during the moment where Savonarola tries to silence the crowd in Bonfire of the Vanities, Niccolò himself will step in and be the one to throw a knife at Savonarola's hand.
*In ''Brotherhood'', before Ezio does a leap of faith after inducting [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Claudia]], Niccolò says that he wishes to write a book about Ezio. Ezio agrees, but only asks him to make it brief. This could be a reference to his book: ''The Prince''.

==Gallery==
===Artwork and portraits===

<center><gallery captionalign="left">
Image:AC2-M.jpg|Concept art for Niccolò Machiavelli.
Image:Machiavelli pose.jpg|Machiavelli with a longsword.
acbnm.png|Niccolò Machiavelli's database profile.
</gallery></center>
===In-game===

<center><gallery>
liuydsg.jpg|Machiavelli at Ezio's initiation.
Niccolo.jpg|Niccolò in 1500.
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Machiavelli, Niccolò}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]