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Bartolomeo d'Alviano

2011-09-26T18:29:43Z

86.135.150.17: /* Later life */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|PL|Assassins|Good}}
{{WP-REAL|Bartolomeo d'Alviano}} {{Template:Quote|You think that commanding an army grants you nobility? Nobility comes from fighting besides your soldiers, not kidnapping a woman to cheat your way out of battle.|Bartolomeo to [[Octavian de Valois]]|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Bartolomeo d'Alviano
|image = Bartolomeo_d'Alviano.png
|birth = 1455 [[wikipedia:Alviano|Alviano]], [[Italy]]
|death = 7 October 1515 [[wikipedia:Ghedi|Ghedi]], Italy
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]''
|voice = [[Alex Ivanovici]]}}
'''Bartolomeo d'Alviano''' (1455 – 1515) was an [[Assassins|Assassin]] and an [[Italy|Italian]] ''condottiero'' (mercenary leader).

==Biography==
===Early life===
Bartolomeo was born in the town of Alviano, and was the son of Francesco d'Alviano and Isabella degli Atti. He was also the cousin of [[Fabio Orsini]] <ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>, and [[Niccolò di Pitigliano]].

Bartolomeo somehow found his way into the Assassin Order and based himself in the [[Castello district]] of [[Venice]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Retaking the Castello district===
By 1486, the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Silvio Barbarigo]] had taken control over the Castello district, and had captured most of Bartolomeo's men, including Bartolomeo himself. Luckily for him, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], the son of the late Assassin [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]], came to his rescue and the two fought their way back to Bartolomeo's headquarters.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After Bartolomeo found his precious sword "Bianca," he asked Ezio to rescue some of his men who had been captured by Silvio's thugs. Ezio successfully rescued each of the mercenaries and, upon returning to Bartolomeo, was instructed to position some of the men throughout the district, in order to stir up enough trouble to regain the territory they had lost.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

[[File:Bartolomeo 2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bartolomeo, rescued by Ezio Auditore da Firenze.]]
Ezio aided the mercenaries by killing the guards of the district to allow them to take their place. Upon posting the last of the men, he climbed to the pinnacle height of a tower, and launched a firework to signal the men to begin their attack.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

From the tower, Ezio caught sight of Bartolomeo engaged in battle against [[Dante Moro]] and a number of other guards, and rushed to aid him. As the Assassins successfully killed most of his men, Dante abandoned the battle and fled to [[Arsenal Shipyard|l'Arsenale]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

They followed, and though Ezio was about to defeat Dante, he was able to slip away into the shipping port. Bartolomeo called for Ezio to follow the fleeing man, as he would likely lead him straight to Silvio. Sure enough, as Silvio and Dante fled for their ship, they were both caught and assassinated by Ezio.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Afterwards, Bartolomeo thanked and congratulated Ezio on liberating the Castello district from Silvio's oppression, and the two parted ways.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Acquiring the Apple of Eden===
Two years later, Bartolomeo joined with several other Assassins to acquire the "[[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]]" from [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] of the Templars. However, when they reached Rodrigo's location, they found Ezio already fighting Rodrigo and his guards.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Bartolomeo and the others hurried to his side, and after killing all the guards and severely wounding Rodrigo, the group all revealed themselves to be Assassins, a fact, previously unknown by Ezio. They then [[Initiation to the Assassin Order|inducted]] Ezio into the Order atop a tall tower.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Battle against Pope Alexander VI===
In 1496, Bartolomeo joined the Orsini in a battle against the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]], who were attempting to seize Orsini territory.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Bartolomeo's resources were cut down to three fortresses by the Borgia, but Bartolomeo's fighting spirit kept him going. [[Cesare Borgia]] completely cut off his supplies when he thought victory was near, but Carlo Orsini arrived just in time to support Bartolomeo, even wounding Cesare in the face.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Fighting the French===
[[File:250px-BartEzioBarr.jpg|thumb|250px|Bartolomeo and Ezio in Rome]]
{{Quote|Cesare persuaded King Louis to lend him an entire army to defeat me. I'm flattered.|Bartolomeo, regarding his fight with the French, 1503.}}
In 1500, Bartolomeo and his new wife, [[Pantasilea Baglioni]], moved to [[Rome]], and used the [[Caserma di Alviano]] as their barracks. Alongside the other Assassins, Bartolomeo sought to liberate the city from the Borgia and Templar rule, and thus focused his mercenaries on the French army led by Baron [[Octavian de Valois]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, Bartolomeo soon found himself being attacked on two fronts; Borgia on one side, French on the other. That same year, Bartolomeo met again with Ezio Auditore, who helped Bartolomeo liberate the region surrounding his base from Borgia control. In exchange, Ezio requested that Bartolomeo find the whereabouts of Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

After having done so, Bartolomeo met with the others at [[Tiber Island]] to discuss their war plans.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

[[File:ACBSP_2011-04-10_19-23-02-14.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio and Bartolomeo alongside some mercenaries.]]
Three years later, Bartolomeo was still at war with the Baron de Valois. When Ezio met with Bartolomeo again to discuss plans to take out the French commander, their conversation was cut short by a mercenary, who alerted Bartolomeo to a surprise assault by the French troops.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Fighting alongside Ezio and his mercenaries, Bartolomeo successfully defended the barracks from the attack, after which they regrouped at the main gate. From there, they found the Baron signaling for their attention from the field.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Octavian called out to request Bartolomeo's surrender in exchange for his wife, whom he had kidnapped. Enraged, Bartolomeo shouted insults to the commander, and eventually tore after him on horseback as the French army withdrew.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

As he and Ezio arrived at the French camp, the [[Castra Praetoria]], they concluded that it was impenetrable. Distraught, Bartolomeo resignedly decided to surrender, and enter the enemy base bearing gifts, out of hope that they would spare his wife.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, Ezio came up with an alternative, and upon returning to the barracks, he suggested that they disguise Bartolomeo's mercenaries as French soldiers, and have them pretend to deliver a captured Bartolomeo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

After Bartolomeo offered his enthusiastic approval, Ezio retrieved some suits of armor from several French guards. Upon regrouping with the other, Ezio, disguised as a French captain, cleared the way for the disguised battalion all the way to the French camp, which they entered with ease.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

As they faced Octavian, Bartolomeo started to openly threaten him, demanding that Pantasilea be released. However, the Baron only remarked that ''"savages never learn"'', and raised his firearm to kill Pantasilea.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Acting swiftly, Ezio fired his [[Pistol|hidden gun]] as a sign to Bartolomeo's mercenaries, breaking their cover and causing confusion among the French guards. In the skirmish that followed, Octavian fled deeper into the camp with Pantasilea in tow. Ezio followed and assassinated him, freeing Pantasilea.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

[[File:PantBartHug.jpg|thumb|260px|Pantasilea and Bartolomeo hugging each other intimately.]]

As Bartolomeo hugged his wife, she thanked him, calling him her prince. Afterwards, they and the mercenaries returned to the barracks.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Later that year, Bartolomeo met with the other Assassins to fight the remnants of Cesare Borgia's followers at the gates of Rome. After the last supporters were killed, they witnessed Cesare being arrested by Bartolomeo's cousin, Fabio Orsini, and later returned to their respective bases.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Under Ferdinand II and Nicolò Orsini===
In 1503, hired by Ferdinand II of Spain, Bartolomeo became the determinant in the victory at the Battle of Garigliano against the French army, which started the Spanish domination over southern Italy.

In 1507, together with Nicolò Orsini, Bartolomeo was rehired by the Republic of Venice. The following year, he defeated the Imperial Army of [[Maximilian I]], Holy Roman Emperor in Cadore, at Mauria and Pontebba, conquering Gorizia and Trieste. In the same year, Pordenone also fell, and the Serenissima assigned its seignory to Bartolomeo himself.

===Battle of Agnadello===
[[File:ACPL bartolomeo.png|thumb|250px|left|Bartolomeo at Agnadello.]]
In 1509, Bartolomeo fought in the [[Battle of Agnadello]]. He allegedly attacked the enemy without the authorization of the Orsini, the commander-in-chief at the time. He was greatly wounded as a result, but managed to recover and rally his troops. He won the hearts of the citizens of Agnadello, and they in turn helped Bartolomeo and his men in gathering resources.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - [[Chapter 1 - Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]</ref>

However, despite a valiant battle, Bartolomeo was still captured by the French, and [[Louis XII]] placed him in jail. In 1513, after the alliance between France and Venice against the Duchy of Milan, he was freed and later fought under the French commander Louis de la Trémoille. He was defeated at Vicenza by the Spanish viceroy of Naples, Ramón de Cardona.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy"/>

===Later life===
Later, Bartolomeo conquered and sacked Pordenone, which in the meantime had fallen again to the Holy Roman Emperor. He was subsequently a protagonist of the French victory at Marignano (September 1515), in which he attacked the hired Swiss mercenaries with a corps of only 300 knights.

Later, he also managed to conquer Bergamo, but died in October of the same year while besieging Ghedi. Venice welcomed his body home with a grand ceremony, and he was buried in the church of [[Santo Stefano]] in Venice.

==Personality==
{{quote|He has such an aggressive view of the world.|Pantasilea regarding Bartolomeo's personality.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
Bartolomeo had an aggressive personality, often disregarding strategy in favor of brute strength. This was clearly shown when Ezio Auditore rescued him in Venice, as he would often remark that Ezio's tactic of avoiding combat was not manly.

He, like [[Mario Auditore]], preferred open combat, rather than the Assassin's tactic of "sneaking and stabbing." He was a proud man, as was made evident when he told Ezio that he was coping well against the French assault, when in truth, he was fighting a losing war.

Bartolomeo also believed in fair fight. When Ezio was escorting him and the Mercenaries to the French camp, he admitted that he did not like the idea of tricking the Baron da Valoi into defeat with the costumes. He also repeated the words of Ezio's father, [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni]] as a further proof that he truly thought that men will no longer be traitorus to one another.

Though a skilled warrior, Bartolomeo was not educated, as when Ezio suggested renovating the barracks, he said ''"I'm no good with these things. You are the educated one, you approve the plans."'' Bartolomeo held honor in highest regard, and was very upset when the Baron de Valois chose the tactic of taking his wife hostage, in an attempt to secure victory.

==Fighting style==
[[File:BIANCA~1.JPG|thumb|250px|Bartolomeo "introducing" Ezio to his sword, Bianca.]]
{{dialogue|Octavian|As amusing as this parley has been, I'd like your unconditional surrender before sunrise.|Bartolomeo|Hah! My lady Bianca will whisper it in your ear!|Bartolomeo to Octavian after fending off a French attack.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

Bartolomeo was a versatile fighter, able to attack with a long sword as well a heavy weapon, although he preferred the latter. When Ezio saved him from the Castello district, Bartolomeo proved his adaptability in fighting by using any weapon he could find, including a broom.

His favorite weapon was a heavy sword that he fondly called "Bianca," which greatly resembled a Scottish Claymore. It has been hinted that he also used an axe in combat, as when Ezio completed all the Mercenary guild quests, he received a weapon called [[Bartolomeo's Axe]], which was almost identical to the [[Heavy Weapons|Labrys]].

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', Bartolomeo's sword Bianca has changed in appearance slightly, having a gold guard and also missing an emblem.
**Bianca is also an exclusive item for ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'', which is unlockable for 15 [[Uplay]] points, that gives a higher chance of winning a Skirmish.
*It has been stated in an interview that you can acquire Bartolomeo's sword by completing a mission for the mercenaries in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. However, this statement is inaccurate, as you instead receive an axe named "Bartolomeo's Axe." His sword, Bianca, is actually just a standard Bastard Sword that can be bought from blacksmiths or taken from [[Brutes]].
*In the battle where Ezio fights alongside Bartolomeo, [[Claudia Auditore]], [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] and [[La Volpe]] against Cesare and his men, Bartolomeo can be "killed," though he will only appear knocked out, as if he lost in a fist fight.
*Bartolomeo's memories are relived in the [[Chapter 1 - Bartolomeo d'Alviano|first chapter]] of the Italian Wars sequence in ''Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy''.

==Gallery==

<center><gallery captionalign="left">
Bonestone.jpg|Bartolomeo preparing to fight Silvio Barbarigo's men.
1305320758.jpg|Bartolomeo in the Caserma di Alviano.
Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h54m41s96.jpg|Bartolomeo with Claudia Auditore and La Volpe, waiting for Ezio Auditore.
Bartolomeo.jpg|Bartolomeo "captured" by his own men and Ezio Auditore in disguises.
Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h45m54s20.jpg|Bartolomeo and La Volpe with the Brotherhood.
vlcsnap-2010-11-12-22h24m02s55.jpg|Bartolomeo and several [[Apprentices]].
EzioBartolomeo.jpg|Bartolomeo talking with Ezio.
Assassini.jpg|Bartolomeo and the other Assassins standing against Cesare.
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alviano, Bartolomeo da}}
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[[Category:Historical Characters]]
[[Category:Good Articles]]
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Niccolò Machiavelli

2011-09-26T18:24:56Z

86.135.150.17: /* Florentine militia */

{{Era|AC2|acb|Renaissance|bbook|assassins}}
{{WP-REAL|Niccolò Machiavelli}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
|image = char_machiavelli.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 3 May 1469 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death = 21 June 1527 (aged 58) Florence, Italy
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]''
|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.|Niccolò 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 and writer, and a member of the [[Assassin Order]]. Being 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 [[Florence|Florentine Republic]].

He was most famous for his writing, ''The Prince'', which lays out guides to achieving political power through, among other techniques, the art of deception and manipulation, establishing what would later be known as "Machiavellian ideas."

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

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

===Acquiring the Apple of Eden===
{{Quote|A prophet's arrival was foretold... And, unbeknownst to us - here you are. Perhaps all along, you were the one we sought.|Machiavelli to Ezio upon acquiring the Apple|Assassin's Creed II}}
At age 19, Niccolò and a group of other Assassins gathered in [[Venice]] to acquire the "[[Sixth 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 a distance.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After the group killed the [[guards]] and severely injured Rodrigo, Niccolò introduced himself to Ezio, and revealed all present to be Assassins, a fact previously unknown to Ezio.
They then went onto a tall tower in Venice, where they inducted Ezio into the Assassin Order, before each performing [[Leap of Faith|Leaps of Faith]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Battle of Forlì===
{{Quote|We discovered that [[Girolamo Riario]] was working with the Templars. Making a map of the locations of the remaining Codex pages.|Machiavelli informing Ezio of the situation.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:500x_assassins_creed_2_dlc.jpeg|thumb|250px|Niccolò, Caterina and Ezio battle their way into the city of Forlì.]]
Shortly after initiating Ezio into the Order, Niccolò accompanied Ezio to [[Forlì]], where they intended to hide the Apple from the Templars. They knew it would be well-protected, as the city was currently under the rule of one of their allies, [[Caterina Sforza]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After entering the outskirts of Forlì, they discovered that the city was under siege by the [[House of Orsi|Orsi brothers]]. During the siege, Niccolò fought against [[Ludovico Orsi]], but was overwhelmed after the Orsi troops began to close in on him from behind.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The Apple was taken, but Niccolò sent Ezio to retrieve it from the fleeing [[Checco Orsi]]. Though Ezio was able to assassinate Checco, he was severely injured, and the Apple was taken by the monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Bonfire of the Vanities===
{{Quote|Rare is the man who is willing to oppose the status quo. And so it falls to us to help them see the truth.|Machiavelli commenting on Savonarola's takeover|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:EzioMachiavelliBonfire.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Niccolò and Ezio discussing Savonarola.]]
In 1497, Niccolò met with Ezio again in Florence, and informed him that Savonarola had taken control of the city through the power of the Apple. Ezio reasoned that if he killed all nine of Savonarola's lieutenants, his grip would weaken. Niccolò thus informed fellow Assassins [[La Volpe]] and [[Paola]] of Ezio's plan, and after all lieutenants had been killed, the three encouraged the people to rise up against Savonarola.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Stoked into revolt, 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. The Apple fell to the ground, but it was retrieved by one of Rodrigo Borgia's men, forcing Ezio to chase him down and retrieve it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Savonarola was then taken to be burned alive, and the Assassins watched from the distance. Ezio then decided that no one should die in such agony, and killed the monk 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"/>

===War in Rome===
{{dialogue|Niccolò|I intend to write a book about you one day.|Ezio|If you do, make it short.|Ezio and Niccolò, 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 highest-ranking Assassins, gathered in the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]] to discuss the location of "[[Vatican Vault|the Vault]]."<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

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]] needed to unlock its entrance. All of them left for Rome to distract the Borgia guards while Ezio infiltrated [[Vaticano district|the Vatican]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

[[File:Ezio and Niccolò.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò and Ezio meet in Rome.]]
Niccolò later returned to Monteriggioni to listen to what Ezio had discovered inside the Vault. Upon hearing that Ezio had spared Rodrigo, he furiously left for Rome to take down the Borgia once and for all.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

The following morning, Monteriggioni was [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attacked]] by the Borgia, under the command of Rodrigo's son, [[Cesare Borgia]]. Niccolò's disappearance right before the attack aroused some suspicion from La Volpe, who thought that Niccolò was secretly working for the Borgia. During the attack, Mario Auditore was killed and Niccolò took command over the chaotic Assassin Order, basing it on [[Tiber Island]] in Rome.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Following the attack, Ezio left for Rome as well, but passed out on the road there, succumbing to the gunshot wounds he had received during the siege. Niccolò brought him to [[Margherita dei Campi|a woman]] living in Rome's countryside to have him cared for, and requested her to tell Ezio to meet him in front of the [[Mausoleo di Augusto]] as soon as he was able.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:Tiberhideout.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking with Ezio and Fabio Orsini.]]
After Ezio arrived, Niccolò informed him of Rome's corrupt state, and lent him some money to purchase some new equipment. He also "introduced" him to the [[Followers of Romulus]], who he suspected to be working for the Borgia, and showed him a faster way of traveling via the city's [[Tunnels|sewer system]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

They used one such tunnel to get back to [[Tiber Island headquarters|their hideout]], and there met one of the Assassins' allies, [[Fabio Orsini]], who had lent the storeroom to the Assassins.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

In 1503, La Volpe believed that he had gathered substantial evidence to prove that Niccolò was working for the Borgia, and therefore told Ezio to ''"do what needs to be done"'', or he would do it himself. However, Ezio did not believe Niccolò to be a traitor, so he did not kill him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

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 could kill Niccolò. La Volpe, pretending that nothing had happened, returned to a amicable relationship with Niccolò afterwards.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:EzioPromotion.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò promoting Ezio to head of the Assassin Order.]]
Over the course of three years, Niccolò began to realize that Ezio was much more suited to the role of leader of the Assassin Order than he was, as it was Ezio who had revived the Brotherhood back to its former strength and carried out the war against the Borgia and the [[Liberation of Rome]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Thus, after [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Ezio's sister]]'s initiation into the Brotherhood, Niccolò placed Ezio at the head of the Assassin Order as the [[Grand Master of the Assassin Order|Grand Master]] . When Ezio asked why he had had a sudden change of heart, Niccolò admitted that he had always stood by Ezio and had been supporting him without his knowledge. The grateful Ezio in turn named Niccolò as his "most trusted adviser."

Niccolò aided in the final batlle against Cesare's remaining forces in Rome, along with Bartolomeo, Claudia, La Volpe, and Ezio. They witnessed Cesare's defeat and his arrest by Fabio Orsini.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Attack on Valencia===
After Cesare's escape in Spain, Ezio and Niccolò tracked him down and formulated a plan to destroy Cesare's new army. Whilst Niccolò made his way to the diehards' camp, Ezio headed to the docks to destroy the enemy ships there with several hand-held bombs crafted by Leonardo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)"> [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]</ref>

Afterwards, he met up with Niccolò on the corner of the street where the Lone Wolf Inn was located. The two climbed onto the roof of the building, and peered through the open top skylight at Cesare and [[Micheletto Corella]], who were discussing the recent turn of events.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Cesare angrily belittled Micheletto, blaming him for what had happened and driving him to launch himself across the table at his Master. Cesare quickly pulled one of his pistols from his belt and shot at Micheletto, destroying his face completely.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio pulled back, hoping to catch Cesare as he left the building, though Niccolò, who had craned forward to get a better look, had kicked a tile in the process, and had drawn Cesare's attention. Drawing his second pistol just as rapidly as he had his first, Cesare shot at the Assassin, hitting Niccolò in the shoulder.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio briefly thought of pursuit, but Niccolò's injury was severe and required immediate medical attention. Finding a local [[Doctors|doctor]], they learned that the bullet had gone straight through, and that Niccolò would be sufficiently healed for travel in two weeks. Before Ezio left to pursue Cesare, Niccolò wished him good luck.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

===Florentine militia===
After Cesare's death, Niccolò returned to Florence, where he was responsible for leading the Florentine militia. Strangely, he noted on multiple occasions that he distrusted [[mercenaries]], despite leading the Florentine mercenaries himself.

His militia managed to defeat [[wikipedia:Pisa|Pisa]] in 1509. However, in August 1512, they were defeated by [[Spain|Spanish]] troops and [[Pope Julius II]].

Niccolò was deprived of office in 1512, and was arrested in 1513 on accusations 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.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

===Later life===
During his stay at his estate, Niccolò wrote ''Il Principe'' (''The Prince''), which was a relatively short book written in a few months. It was written specifically for a period when the Medici family had the opportunity to build a strong Italian state in central Italy, and drive out the "barbarians."<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Over a significant amount of his life, Niccolò also wrote the ''Discourses of Livy'', a thesis that reflected his more republican notions of government. It is a far more comprehensive thesis than ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

These two manuscripts were banned by the Church because they were in direct support to many of Niccolò's reforms, as he sought to help unite the city-states of Italy under government, not religion. Together the ''Discourses'' and ''The Prince'' explained that Niccolò was an individual who preferred a republican government, but was prepared to accept a principality if it ensured the survival of the state.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

There have also been suggestions that ''The Prince'' is a piece of overt political satire. This is inspired in part by the fact that his magnum opus, the ''Discourses'', contains arguments that clash with the contents of ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Particularly interesting was the fact that it was written in Italian rather than Latin, as was the common practice by Italy's intelligentsia at the time. This suggests that the book was actually written to be digested by Italy's common people rather than the ruling classes (who were likely already aware of the techniques described within the book).<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Niccolò died on 21 June 1527 at the age of 58. His final resting place is the [[Basilica di Santa Croce]] in Florence.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

==Personality==
{{Quote|When did you become so cynical?|Ezio Auditore to Niccolò.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

Niccolò possessed a rather intricate personality. He was a mysterious individual, secretive in his ways, which resulted in his fellow Assassin, La Volpe, questioning his loyalty to the Assassin Order.

A usually cautious man, Niccolò was often astounded by Ezio Auditore's brash and headstrong actions. He was also opportunistic seeing that which benefited the Order. This was clearly shown when Ezio infiltrated the [[Castel Sant'Angelo|Castel ]]

[[File:Newmanintown.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking to Ezio in Rome.]]

[[Castel Sant'Angelo|Sant'Angelo]] for the first time, and Niccolò insisted that Ezio prioritize assassinating Cesare and Rodrigo, rather than rescuing Caterina Sforza.

Niccolò also, from time to time, verbally sparred with Ezio, usually openly contradicting his views. When Ezio suggested that the Order appeal to the citizens of Rome for aid, Niccolò quickly opposed this idea, stating that relying on the people was ''"like building on the sand."''

==Trivia==
*In line with his real-life counterpart, the in-game Niccolò states during the Bonfire of the Vanities that he finds mercenaries unreliable, as they fight only for payment, and are not loyal.
**However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', he openly admits to Ezio that the mercenaries that aided him in the [[Colosseo]] were sent by him.
*Despite being only 19 when he first met Ezio Auditore, Niccolò acted very mature towards his elder Assassin.
*If Ezio chooses to do nothing during the moment where Savonarola tries to silence the crowd in the Bonfire of the Vanities, Niccolò will step in and be the one to throw a knife at Savonarola's hand.
**Niccolò throws the knife in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' as well.
*Historically, Niccolò had good relations with the Borgia family. In 1502, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia. He called Rodrigo Borgia a very successful politician, because he was the prototype of a leader who had no scruples to reach his target, and historically, it is also said that Niccolò greatly admired Cesare Borgia.
*Before the [[Siege of Monteriggioni]], when Machiavelli is seen at the Assassin meeting, he is wearing the same clothes as he is seen wearing in Assassin's Creed II. However, when he is seen in Rome, he is wearing a different outfit.
*In ''Brotherhood'', it is suggested that a few of [[Easter Eggs#Machiavelli's Works|Niccolò's later works]] were inspired by his interactions with Ezio.
*In the memory "[[New Man In Town]]" the weapon that Machiavelli has, varies from playthrough to playthrough.
*In the memory "[http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Man_Of_The_People Man Of The People]" when you are going to recruit an assassin, you can kill Machiavelli by the bag of a lift.

{{GalleryBox|Niccolò Machiavelli}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Niccolò Machiavelli

2011-09-26T18:23:11Z

86.135.150.17: /* Attack on Valencia */

{{Era|AC2|acb|Renaissance|bbook|assassins}}
{{WP-REAL|Niccolò Machiavelli}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
|image = char_machiavelli.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 3 May 1469 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death = 21 June 1527 (aged 58) Florence, Italy
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]''
|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.|Niccolò 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 and writer, and a member of the [[Assassin Order]]. Being 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 [[Florence|Florentine Republic]].

He was most famous for his writing, ''The Prince'', which lays out guides to achieving political power through, among other techniques, the art of deception and manipulation, establishing what would later be known as "Machiavellian ideas."

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

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

===Acquiring the Apple of Eden===
{{Quote|A prophet's arrival was foretold... And, unbeknownst to us - here you are. Perhaps all along, you were the one we sought.|Machiavelli to Ezio upon acquiring the Apple|Assassin's Creed II}}
At age 19, Niccolò and a group of other Assassins gathered in [[Venice]] to acquire the "[[Sixth 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 a distance.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After the group killed the [[guards]] and severely injured Rodrigo, Niccolò introduced himself to Ezio, and revealed all present to be Assassins, a fact previously unknown to Ezio.
They then went onto a tall tower in Venice, where they inducted Ezio into the Assassin Order, before each performing [[Leap of Faith|Leaps of Faith]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Battle of Forlì===
{{Quote|We discovered that [[Girolamo Riario]] was working with the Templars. Making a map of the locations of the remaining Codex pages.|Machiavelli informing Ezio of the situation.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:500x_assassins_creed_2_dlc.jpeg|thumb|250px|Niccolò, Caterina and Ezio battle their way into the city of Forlì.]]
Shortly after initiating Ezio into the Order, Niccolò accompanied Ezio to [[Forlì]], where they intended to hide the Apple from the Templars. They knew it would be well-protected, as the city was currently under the rule of one of their allies, [[Caterina Sforza]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After entering the outskirts of Forlì, they discovered that the city was under siege by the [[House of Orsi|Orsi brothers]]. During the siege, Niccolò fought against [[Ludovico Orsi]], but was overwhelmed after the Orsi troops began to close in on him from behind.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The Apple was taken, but Niccolò sent Ezio to retrieve it from the fleeing [[Checco Orsi]]. Though Ezio was able to assassinate Checco, he was severely injured, and the Apple was taken by the monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Bonfire of the Vanities===
{{Quote|Rare is the man who is willing to oppose the status quo. And so it falls to us to help them see the truth.|Machiavelli commenting on Savonarola's takeover|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:EzioMachiavelliBonfire.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Niccolò and Ezio discussing Savonarola.]]
In 1497, Niccolò met with Ezio again in Florence, and informed him that Savonarola had taken control of the city through the power of the Apple. Ezio reasoned that if he killed all nine of Savonarola's lieutenants, his grip would weaken. Niccolò thus informed fellow Assassins [[La Volpe]] and [[Paola]] of Ezio's plan, and after all lieutenants had been killed, the three encouraged the people to rise up against Savonarola.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Stoked into revolt, 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. The Apple fell to the ground, but it was retrieved by one of Rodrigo Borgia's men, forcing Ezio to chase him down and retrieve it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Savonarola was then taken to be burned alive, and the Assassins watched from the distance. Ezio then decided that no one should die in such agony, and killed the monk 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"/>

===War in Rome===
{{dialogue|Niccolò|I intend to write a book about you one day.|Ezio|If you do, make it short.|Ezio and Niccolò, 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 highest-ranking Assassins, gathered in the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]] to discuss the location of "[[Vatican Vault|the Vault]]."<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

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]] needed to unlock its entrance. All of them left for Rome to distract the Borgia guards while Ezio infiltrated [[Vaticano district|the Vatican]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

[[File:Ezio and Niccolò.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò and Ezio meet in Rome.]]
Niccolò later returned to Monteriggioni to listen to what Ezio had discovered inside the Vault. Upon hearing that Ezio had spared Rodrigo, he furiously left for Rome to take down the Borgia once and for all.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

The following morning, Monteriggioni was [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attacked]] by the Borgia, under the command of Rodrigo's son, [[Cesare Borgia]]. Niccolò's disappearance right before the attack aroused some suspicion from La Volpe, who thought that Niccolò was secretly working for the Borgia. During the attack, Mario Auditore was killed and Niccolò took command over the chaotic Assassin Order, basing it on [[Tiber Island]] in Rome.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Following the attack, Ezio left for Rome as well, but passed out on the road there, succumbing to the gunshot wounds he had received during the siege. Niccolò brought him to [[Margherita dei Campi|a woman]] living in Rome's countryside to have him cared for, and requested her to tell Ezio to meet him in front of the [[Mausoleo di Augusto]] as soon as he was able.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:Tiberhideout.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking with Ezio and Fabio Orsini.]]
After Ezio arrived, Niccolò informed him of Rome's corrupt state, and lent him some money to purchase some new equipment. He also "introduced" him to the [[Followers of Romulus]], who he suspected to be working for the Borgia, and showed him a faster way of traveling via the city's [[Tunnels|sewer system]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

They used one such tunnel to get back to [[Tiber Island headquarters|their hideout]], and there met one of the Assassins' allies, [[Fabio Orsini]], who had lent the storeroom to the Assassins.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

In 1503, La Volpe believed that he had gathered substantial evidence to prove that Niccolò was working for the Borgia, and therefore told Ezio to ''"do what needs to be done"'', or he would do it himself. However, Ezio did not believe Niccolò to be a traitor, so he did not kill him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

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 could kill Niccolò. La Volpe, pretending that nothing had happened, returned to a amicable relationship with Niccolò afterwards.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:EzioPromotion.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò promoting Ezio to head of the Assassin Order.]]
Over the course of three years, Niccolò began to realize that Ezio was much more suited to the role of leader of the Assassin Order than he was, as it was Ezio who had revived the Brotherhood back to its former strength and carried out the war against the Borgia and the [[Liberation of Rome]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Thus, after [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Ezio's sister]]'s initiation into the Brotherhood, Niccolò placed Ezio at the head of the Assassin Order as the [[Grand Master of the Assassin Order|Grand Master]] . When Ezio asked why he had had a sudden change of heart, Niccolò admitted that he had always stood by Ezio and had been supporting him without his knowledge. The grateful Ezio in turn named Niccolò as his "most trusted adviser."

Niccolò aided in the final batlle against Cesare's remaining forces in Rome, along with Bartolomeo, Claudia, La Volpe, and Ezio. They witnessed Cesare's defeat and his arrest by Fabio Orsini.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Attack on Valencia===
After Cesare's escape in Spain, Ezio and Niccolò tracked him down and formulated a plan to destroy Cesare's new army. Whilst Niccolò made his way to the diehards' camp, Ezio headed to the docks to destroy the enemy ships there with several hand-held bombs crafted by Leonardo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)"> [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]</ref>

Afterwards, he met up with Niccolò on the corner of the street where the Lone Wolf Inn was located. The two climbed onto the roof of the building, and peered through the open top skylight at Cesare and [[Micheletto Corella]], who were discussing the recent turn of events.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Cesare angrily belittled Micheletto, blaming him for what had happened and driving him to launch himself across the table at his Master. Cesare quickly pulled one of his pistols from his belt and shot at Micheletto, destroying his face completely.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio pulled back, hoping to catch Cesare as he left the building, though Niccolò, who had craned forward to get a better look, had kicked a tile in the process, and had drawn Cesare's attention. Drawing his second pistol just as rapidly as he had his first, Cesare shot at the Assassin, hitting Niccolò in the shoulder.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio briefly thought of pursuit, but Niccolò's injury was severe and required immediate medical attention. Finding a local [[Doctors|doctor]], they learned that the bullet had gone straight through, and that Niccolò would be sufficiently healed for travel in two weeks. Before Ezio left to pursue Cesare, Niccolò wished him good luck.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

===Florentine militia===
Between 1503 and 1506, Niccolò returned to Florence, where he was responsible for leading the Florentine militia. Strangely, he noted on multiple occasions that he distrusted [[mercenaries]], despite leading the Florentine mercenaries himself.<ref name="Wikipedia">[[Wikipedia:Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò Machiavelli on ''Wikipedia'']]</ref>

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 [[Spain|Spanish]] troops and [[Pope Julius II]]. After this, Florence was dissolved as a city-state.

Niccolò was deprived of office in 1512, and was arrested in 1513 on accusations 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.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

===Later life===
During his stay at his estate, Niccolò wrote ''Il Principe'' (''The Prince''), which was a relatively short book written in a few months. It was written specifically for a period when the Medici family had the opportunity to build a strong Italian state in central Italy, and drive out the "barbarians."<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Over a significant amount of his life, Niccolò also wrote the ''Discourses of Livy'', a thesis that reflected his more republican notions of government. It is a far more comprehensive thesis than ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

These two manuscripts were banned by the Church because they were in direct support to many of Niccolò's reforms, as he sought to help unite the city-states of Italy under government, not religion. Together the ''Discourses'' and ''The Prince'' explained that Niccolò was an individual who preferred a republican government, but was prepared to accept a principality if it ensured the survival of the state.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

There have also been suggestions that ''The Prince'' is a piece of overt political satire. This is inspired in part by the fact that his magnum opus, the ''Discourses'', contains arguments that clash with the contents of ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Particularly interesting was the fact that it was written in Italian rather than Latin, as was the common practice by Italy's intelligentsia at the time. This suggests that the book was actually written to be digested by Italy's common people rather than the ruling classes (who were likely already aware of the techniques described within the book).<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Niccolò died on 21 June 1527 at the age of 58. His final resting place is the [[Basilica di Santa Croce]] in Florence.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

==Personality==
{{Quote|When did you become so cynical?|Ezio Auditore to Niccolò.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

Niccolò possessed a rather intricate personality. He was a mysterious individual, secretive in his ways, which resulted in his fellow Assassin, La Volpe, questioning his loyalty to the Assassin Order.

A usually cautious man, Niccolò was often astounded by Ezio Auditore's brash and headstrong actions. He was also opportunistic seeing that which benefited the Order. This was clearly shown when Ezio infiltrated the [[Castel Sant'Angelo|Castel ]]

[[File:Newmanintown.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking to Ezio in Rome.]]

[[Castel Sant'Angelo|Sant'Angelo]] for the first time, and Niccolò insisted that Ezio prioritize assassinating Cesare and Rodrigo, rather than rescuing Caterina Sforza.

Niccolò also, from time to time, verbally sparred with Ezio, usually openly contradicting his views. When Ezio suggested that the Order appeal to the citizens of Rome for aid, Niccolò quickly opposed this idea, stating that relying on the people was ''"like building on the sand."''

==Trivia==
*In line with his real-life counterpart, the in-game Niccolò states during the Bonfire of the Vanities that he finds mercenaries unreliable, as they fight only for payment, and are not loyal.
**However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', he openly admits to Ezio that the mercenaries that aided him in the [[Colosseo]] were sent by him.
*Despite being only 19 when he first met Ezio Auditore, Niccolò acted very mature towards his elder Assassin.
*If Ezio chooses to do nothing during the moment where Savonarola tries to silence the crowd in the Bonfire of the Vanities, Niccolò will step in and be the one to throw a knife at Savonarola's hand.
**Niccolò throws the knife in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' as well.
*Historically, Niccolò had good relations with the Borgia family. In 1502, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia. He called Rodrigo Borgia a very successful politician, because he was the prototype of a leader who had no scruples to reach his target, and historically, it is also said that Niccolò greatly admired Cesare Borgia.
*Before the [[Siege of Monteriggioni]], when Machiavelli is seen at the Assassin meeting, he is wearing the same clothes as he is seen wearing in Assassin's Creed II. However, when he is seen in Rome, he is wearing a different outfit.
*In ''Brotherhood'', it is suggested that a few of [[Easter Eggs#Machiavelli's Works|Niccolò's later works]] were inspired by his interactions with Ezio.
*In the memory "[[New Man In Town]]" the weapon that Machiavelli has, varies from playthrough to playthrough.
*In the memory "[http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Man_Of_The_People Man Of The People]" when you are going to recruit an assassin, you can kill Machiavelli by the bag of a lift.

{{GalleryBox|Niccolò Machiavelli}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Niccolò Machiavelli

2011-09-26T18:22:01Z

86.135.150.17: /* War in Rome */

{{Era|AC2|acb|Renaissance|bbook|assassins}}
{{WP-REAL|Niccolò Machiavelli}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
|image = char_machiavelli.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 3 May 1469 [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|death = 21 June 1527 (aged 58) Florence, Italy
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] [[Mercenaries]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]''
|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.|Niccolò 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 and writer, and a member of the [[Assassin Order]]. Being 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 [[Florence|Florentine Republic]].

He was most famous for his writing, ''The Prince'', which lays out guides to achieving political power through, among other techniques, the art of deception and manipulation, establishing what would later be known as "Machiavellian ideas."

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

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

===Acquiring the Apple of Eden===
{{Quote|A prophet's arrival was foretold... And, unbeknownst to us - here you are. Perhaps all along, you were the one we sought.|Machiavelli to Ezio upon acquiring the Apple|Assassin's Creed II}}
At age 19, Niccolò and a group of other Assassins gathered in [[Venice]] to acquire the "[[Sixth 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 a distance.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After the group killed the [[guards]] and severely injured Rodrigo, Niccolò introduced himself to Ezio, and revealed all present to be Assassins, a fact previously unknown to Ezio.
They then went onto a tall tower in Venice, where they inducted Ezio into the Assassin Order, before each performing [[Leap of Faith|Leaps of Faith]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Battle of Forlì===
{{Quote|We discovered that [[Girolamo Riario]] was working with the Templars. Making a map of the locations of the remaining Codex pages.|Machiavelli informing Ezio of the situation.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:500x_assassins_creed_2_dlc.jpeg|thumb|250px|Niccolò, Caterina and Ezio battle their way into the city of Forlì.]]
Shortly after initiating Ezio into the Order, Niccolò accompanied Ezio to [[Forlì]], where they intended to hide the Apple from the Templars. They knew it would be well-protected, as the city was currently under the rule of one of their allies, [[Caterina Sforza]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

After entering the outskirts of Forlì, they discovered that the city was under siege by the [[House of Orsi|Orsi brothers]]. During the siege, Niccolò fought against [[Ludovico Orsi]], but was overwhelmed after the Orsi troops began to close in on him from behind.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The Apple was taken, but Niccolò sent Ezio to retrieve it from the fleeing [[Checco Orsi]]. Though Ezio was able to assassinate Checco, he was severely injured, and the Apple was taken by the monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Bonfire of the Vanities===
{{Quote|Rare is the man who is willing to oppose the status quo. And so it falls to us to help them see the truth.|Machiavelli commenting on Savonarola's takeover|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:EzioMachiavelliBonfire.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Niccolò and Ezio discussing Savonarola.]]
In 1497, Niccolò met with Ezio again in Florence, and informed him that Savonarola had taken control of the city through the power of the Apple. Ezio reasoned that if he killed all nine of Savonarola's lieutenants, his grip would weaken. Niccolò thus informed fellow Assassins [[La Volpe]] and [[Paola]] of Ezio's plan, and after all lieutenants had been killed, the three encouraged the people to rise up against Savonarola.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Stoked into revolt, 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. The Apple fell to the ground, but it was retrieved by one of Rodrigo Borgia's men, forcing Ezio to chase him down and retrieve it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Savonarola was then taken to be burned alive, and the Assassins watched from the distance. Ezio then decided that no one should die in such agony, and killed the monk 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"/>

===War in Rome===
{{dialogue|Niccolò|I intend to write a book about you one day.|Ezio|If you do, make it short.|Ezio and Niccolò, 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 highest-ranking Assassins, gathered in the [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]] to discuss the location of "[[Vatican Vault|the Vault]]."<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

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]] needed to unlock its entrance. All of them left for Rome to distract the Borgia guards while Ezio infiltrated [[Vaticano district|the Vatican]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

[[File:Ezio and Niccolò.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò and Ezio meet in Rome.]]
Niccolò later returned to Monteriggioni to listen to what Ezio had discovered inside the Vault. Upon hearing that Ezio had spared Rodrigo, he furiously left for Rome to take down the Borgia once and for all.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

The following morning, Monteriggioni was [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attacked]] by the Borgia, under the command of Rodrigo's son, [[Cesare Borgia]]. Niccolò's disappearance right before the attack aroused some suspicion from La Volpe, who thought that Niccolò was secretly working for the Borgia. During the attack, Mario Auditore was killed and Niccolò took command over the chaotic Assassin Order, basing it on [[Tiber Island]] in Rome.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Following the attack, Ezio left for Rome as well, but passed out on the road there, succumbing to the gunshot wounds he had received during the siege. Niccolò brought him to [[Margherita dei Campi|a woman]] living in Rome's countryside to have him cared for, and requested her to tell Ezio to meet him in front of the [[Mausoleo di Augusto]] as soon as he was able.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:Tiberhideout.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking with Ezio and Fabio Orsini.]]
After Ezio arrived, Niccolò informed him of Rome's corrupt state, and lent him some money to purchase some new equipment. He also "introduced" him to the [[Followers of Romulus]], who he suspected to be working for the Borgia, and showed him a faster way of traveling via the city's [[Tunnels|sewer system]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

They used one such tunnel to get back to [[Tiber Island headquarters|their hideout]], and there met one of the Assassins' allies, [[Fabio Orsini]], who had lent the storeroom to the Assassins.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

In 1503, La Volpe believed that he had gathered substantial evidence to prove that Niccolò was working for the Borgia, and therefore told Ezio to ''"do what needs to be done"'', or he would do it himself. However, Ezio did not believe Niccolò to be a traitor, so he did not kill him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

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 could kill Niccolò. La Volpe, pretending that nothing had happened, returned to a amicable relationship with Niccolò afterwards.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

[[File:EzioPromotion.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Niccolò promoting Ezio to head of the Assassin Order.]]
Over the course of three years, Niccolò began to realize that Ezio was much more suited to the role of leader of the Assassin Order than he was, as it was Ezio who had revived the Brotherhood back to its former strength and carried out the war against the Borgia and the [[Liberation of Rome]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Thus, after [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Ezio's sister]]'s initiation into the Brotherhood, Niccolò placed Ezio at the head of the Assassin Order as the [[Grand Master of the Assassin Order|Grand Master]] . When Ezio asked why he had had a sudden change of heart, Niccolò admitted that he had always stood by Ezio and had been supporting him without his knowledge. The grateful Ezio in turn named Niccolò as his "most trusted adviser."

Niccolò aided in the final batlle against Cesare's remaining forces in Rome, along with Bartolomeo, Claudia, La Volpe, and Ezio. They witnessed Cesare's defeat and his arrest by Fabio Orsini.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Attack on Valencia===
Ezio and Niccolò formulated a plan to destroy Cesare's new army. Whilst Niccolò made his way to the diehards' camp, Ezio headed to the docks to destroy the enemy ships there with several hand-held bombs.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)"> [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)]]</ref>

Afterwards, he met up with Niccolò on the corner of the street where the Lone Wolf Inn was located. The two climbed onto the roof of the building, and peered through the open top skylight at Cesare and [[Micheletto Corella]], who were discussing the recent turn of events.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Cesare angrily belittled Micheletto, blaming him for what had happened and driving him to launch himself across the table at his Master. Cesare quickly pulled one of his pistols from his belt and shot at Micheletto, destroying his face completely.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio pulled back, hoping to catch Cesare as he left the building, though Niccolò, who had craned forward to get a better look, had kicked a tile in the process, and had drawn Cesare's attention. Drawing his second pistol just as rapidly as he had his first, Cesare shot at the Assassin, hitting Niccolò in the shoulder.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

Ezio briefly thought of pursuit, but Niccolò's injury was severe and required immediate medical attention. Finding a local [[Doctors|doctor]], they learned that the bullet had gone straight through, and that Niccolò would be sufficiently healed for travel in two weeks. Before Ezio left to pursue Cesare, Niccolò wished him good luck.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)" />

===Florentine militia===
Between 1503 and 1506, Niccolò returned to Florence, where he was responsible for leading the Florentine militia. Strangely, he noted on multiple occasions that he distrusted [[mercenaries]], despite leading the Florentine mercenaries himself.<ref name="Wikipedia">[[Wikipedia:Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò Machiavelli on ''Wikipedia'']]</ref>

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 [[Spain|Spanish]] troops and [[Pope Julius II]]. After this, Florence was dissolved as a city-state.

Niccolò was deprived of office in 1512, and was arrested in 1513 on accusations 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.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

===Later life===
During his stay at his estate, Niccolò wrote ''Il Principe'' (''The Prince''), which was a relatively short book written in a few months. It was written specifically for a period when the Medici family had the opportunity to build a strong Italian state in central Italy, and drive out the "barbarians."<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Over a significant amount of his life, Niccolò also wrote the ''Discourses of Livy'', a thesis that reflected his more republican notions of government. It is a far more comprehensive thesis than ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

These two manuscripts were banned by the Church because they were in direct support to many of Niccolò's reforms, as he sought to help unite the city-states of Italy under government, not religion. Together the ''Discourses'' and ''The Prince'' explained that Niccolò was an individual who preferred a republican government, but was prepared to accept a principality if it ensured the survival of the state.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

There have also been suggestions that ''The Prince'' is a piece of overt political satire. This is inspired in part by the fact that his magnum opus, the ''Discourses'', contains arguments that clash with the contents of ''The Prince''.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Particularly interesting was the fact that it was written in Italian rather than Latin, as was the common practice by Italy's intelligentsia at the time. This suggests that the book was actually written to be digested by Italy's common people rather than the ruling classes (who were likely already aware of the techniques described within the book).<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

Niccolò died on 21 June 1527 at the age of 58. His final resting place is the [[Basilica di Santa Croce]] in Florence.<ref name="Wikipedia"/>

==Personality==
{{Quote|When did you become so cynical?|Ezio Auditore to Niccolò.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

Niccolò possessed a rather intricate personality. He was a mysterious individual, secretive in his ways, which resulted in his fellow Assassin, La Volpe, questioning his loyalty to the Assassin Order.

A usually cautious man, Niccolò was often astounded by Ezio Auditore's brash and headstrong actions. He was also opportunistic seeing that which benefited the Order. This was clearly shown when Ezio infiltrated the [[Castel Sant'Angelo|Castel ]]

[[File:Newmanintown.jpg|thumb|250px|Niccolò speaking to Ezio in Rome.]]

[[Castel Sant'Angelo|Sant'Angelo]] for the first time, and Niccolò insisted that Ezio prioritize assassinating Cesare and Rodrigo, rather than rescuing Caterina Sforza.

Niccolò also, from time to time, verbally sparred with Ezio, usually openly contradicting his views. When Ezio suggested that the Order appeal to the citizens of Rome for aid, Niccolò quickly opposed this idea, stating that relying on the people was ''"like building on the sand."''

==Trivia==
*In line with his real-life counterpart, the in-game Niccolò states during the Bonfire of the Vanities that he finds mercenaries unreliable, as they fight only for payment, and are not loyal.
**However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', he openly admits to Ezio that the mercenaries that aided him in the [[Colosseo]] were sent by him.
*Despite being only 19 when he first met Ezio Auditore, Niccolò acted very mature towards his elder Assassin.
*If Ezio chooses to do nothing during the moment where Savonarola tries to silence the crowd in the Bonfire of the Vanities, Niccolò will step in and be the one to throw a knife at Savonarola's hand.
**Niccolò throws the knife in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' as well.
*Historically, Niccolò had good relations with the Borgia family. In 1502, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia. He called Rodrigo Borgia a very successful politician, because he was the prototype of a leader who had no scruples to reach his target, and historically, it is also said that Niccolò greatly admired Cesare Borgia.
*Before the [[Siege of Monteriggioni]], when Machiavelli is seen at the Assassin meeting, he is wearing the same clothes as he is seen wearing in Assassin's Creed II. However, when he is seen in Rome, he is wearing a different outfit.
*In ''Brotherhood'', it is suggested that a few of [[Easter Eggs#Machiavelli's Works|Niccolò's later works]] were inspired by his interactions with Ezio.
*In the memory "[[New Man In Town]]" the weapon that Machiavelli has, varies from playthrough to playthrough.
*In the memory "[http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Man_Of_The_People Man Of The People]" when you are going to recruit an assassin, you can kill Machiavelli by the bag of a lift.

{{GalleryBox|Niccolò Machiavelli}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Leonardo da Vinci

2011-09-26T18:16:39Z

86.135.150.17: /* History */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|Project Legacy|Ascendance|Featured}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
|image = Leonardo.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 15 April, 1452 [[wikipedia:Vinci|Vinci]], [[Italy]]
|death = 2 May, 1519 (aged 67) [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]], [[France]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] (Allies)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|voice = [[Carlos Ferro]]}}
{{quote|One thing I am not, is a man of violence.|Leonardo to [[Ezio Auditore de Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] in [[Valencia]], 1505.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)}}
'''Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci''' (1452 – 1519) was an [[Italy|Italian]] polymath: an artist and engineering genius during the [[Renaissance|Renaissance era]], famous for the painting of several masterpieces, including the [[Mona Lisa]].

Born in the town of Vinci, just outside of [[Florence]], Leonardo became an apprentice to [[Andrea del Verrocchio]] and quickly completed his training. By 1476, Leonardo had earned the patronage of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], and sold many paintings to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]]. In that year, Leonardo met Giovanni's second child, a young [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]; the two soon struck up a friendship, both professional and personal, that would last their entire lives.

Throughout his life, Leonardo aided in his close friend's quest for vengeance against [[Rodrigo Borgia]] and his [[Templars]] followers; decoding [[Codex]] pages and providing unique weapons and technologies to the fledgling [[Assassin]], all the meanwhile maintaining his own, personal life.

In 1500, Leonardo was abducted by [[Cesare Borgia]], the son of Rodrigo Borgia, and forced to construct [[war machines]] for the [[Papacy|Papal armies]]. Throughout this time however, Leonardo continued to feed intelligence and technologies back to his Assassin allies. Following the Borgias' expulsion from [[Rome]], Leonardo was kidnapped by the [[Cult of Hermes]] and forced to reveal the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]] and, following his rescue, joined his oldest friend, Ezio Auditore, during his exploration of the [[Pythagorean Vault]].

Following these events, Leonardo moved to France, eventually retiring in 1513.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in Vinci, a town outside of [[Florence]], Italy, to a Florentine notary named [[wikipedia:Piero da Vinci|Piero da Vinci]] and a local woman named Caterina. He spent most of his early childhood in nearby rural [[Tuscany]] so as to spare his father the embarrassment of a scandal. However, young Leonardo's innate artistic prowess was obvious to his elders even then, and when he turned fourteen he was returned to Florence, apprenticed to the workshop of renowned painter [[Andrea del Verrocchio]]; while there, he is said to have collaborated with the Verrocchio on his masterpiece, ''[[wikipedia:Baptism of Christ|Baptism of Christ]]''.

===Florence===
At age 20, Leonardo was titled a master by the [[wikipedia:Guild of Saint 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]], of which he sold most of his paintings to.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

====Meeting Ezio====
{{Dialogue|Leonardo|I often feel that my work lacks... I don't know... purpose.|Maria|You should have more faith in yourself, Leonardo.|Leonardo, Maria and Ezio on their way to the Palazzo.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:Friend 3 v.png|thumb|right|250px|Leonardo upon his meeting with Ezio.]]
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. The two conversed inside the workshop of the artist, talking about Leonardo's paintings, and what else he could do aside from painting, at which Ezio remarked to his mother that Leonardo wouldn't come that far, seeing that he wasn't even capable of keeping his workplace tidy. Ezio's mother however, was very confident of Leonardo's future, complimenting him multiple times on his talent and telling him he should have more faith in himself.<ref name="AC:R"/>

Soon after their conversation, the three headed back to the [[Palazzo Auditore]], Ezio and Leonardo carrying one box each, filled with paintings to hang on the walls. Again Ezio commented on Leonardo's seeming incapability, but he soon felt he was wrong about the so-called "fledgling artist" as they arrived at the Palazzo, noting that Leonardo was one to respect. This encounter sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.<ref name="AC:R"/>

{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Anything which shines glints in the sun, and that's a dead giveaway.|Ezio|I thought you were a man of peace.|Ideas take precedence.|Ezio commenting on Leonardo after he finished his Hidden Blade.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After the [[Auditore Execution|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]] he had inherited from his father. Leonardo was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, as it, despite its old age, was way ahead of even their time.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:LeonardoCodex.png|left|250px|thumb|Leonardo studying the first Codex page.]]At first he had no idea how to repair it, but soon he discovered that [[Codex|the scroll]] Ezio had included with the weapon could be decrypted and used as a manual, at which he started to decode it. It took Leonardo some hours before he had finally finished the repairs to the Hidden Blade. Leonardo woke up Ezio, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, and handed the weapon over to him. Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed, because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." This was to his own amusement however, as it is shown that he simply embedded the cleaver into the table next to Ezio's hand. He explained that the blade had been modified so that the removal of the finger was no longer necessary.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="AC:R"/>

Immediately after this, a Florentine [[guards|guard]] showed up at Leonardo's workshop. Leonardo responded and told Ezio to stay in his workshop, while he opened the door for the guard, keeping him outside. The guard knew that he had been in contact with Ezio, and as Leonardo tried to act ignorant of the [[Assassins|Assassin]], the guard threw him to the ground and started kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts. Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and tested out his newly acquired weapon on him. Afterwards, Ezio hid the body inside the workshop with others upon Leonardo's request – as the bodies were used for his anatomical research.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Codexleo.png|thumb|right|250px|Ezio handing Leonardo a Codex page.]]
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 as explained on the codex page in Leonardo's yard with straw dummies - set up by one of his students, Vincenzo - Leonardo constructed a second Hidden Blade to be put at his friend's disposal. Shortly after practicing with his Hidden Blade, Ezio inquired about [[Francesco de' Pazzi]], which prompted Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out [[La Volpe]] ("The Fox"). Leonardo suspiciously told Ezio that La Volpe had [[thieves|eyes]] everywhere, that he sees everything, but no one sees him. He said that Ezio could find him at the [[Mercato Vecchio]], and he reminded him to be careful. After this, Leonardo appeared at several instances in which Ezio simply visited him to decipher codex pages.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

{{Quote|In high enough doses, that which can cure, can kill.|Leonardo on the Poison Blade.|Assassin's Creed II}}
After Ezio put an end to the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]], he visited Leonardo once more, who had been deeply worried about his friend, knowing about the recent "madness" going on in Florence. He was soon cheered up by yet another Codex page, that Ezio had received 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 had been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison through it and into their enemies for a more subtle kill, without weakening its structure. Leonardo was done manufacturing the design rather quickly, telling Ezio that if he ran out of poison, to visit a [[doctors|doctor]], which initially confused him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

====Moving to Venice====
[[File:EzioLeo2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo with Ezio traveling to Venice.]]
{{Quote|Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly.|Leonardo answering Ezio on his flying machine.|Assassin's Creed II}}
Leonardo once again met Ezio in the [[Appennine Mountains]] after the fall of the Pazzi Conspirators. The artist was faced with the problem of a broken [[wagon]] wheel and, lacking the means fix it himself, asked Ezio to lift the carriage. Ezio noticed the contraption inside the wagon and asked about it, which triggered the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his [[Flying Machine]] and told anyone about it, saying he couldn't keep it just for himself anymore. Ezio, amused by Leonardo’s idea, offered him to drive, at which Leonardo curiously reacted that he hadn't even told him where they were going, and they set off for [[Romagna]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], threatening their lives all the way through the Mountains. Ezio held them off by steering the wagon into the horses of the soldiers and dodging the burning arrows the soldiers had started shooting at them. In the meantime, Leonardo was safely hidden inside the wagon. At the end of the trail, Ezio stayed behind to deal with the soldiers, so Leonardo could get to Romagna safely. The two 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]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Venice===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor who built...this...this pezzo di merda.|Leonardo|Hey! It's not the machine's fault!...It's mine. I've checked and rechecked my blueprints. It's just impossible! [...] Ah, che idea del cazzo!|Leonardo and Ezio, visited by Antonio after the failed test flight.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AC2LeonardoFire.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo noticing the floating paper.]]
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. During the tour, the three stopped at the market of Venice, where suddenly a few guards started harassing a stall owner under the command of [[Emilio Barbarigo]]. Alvise advised them to follow him elsewhere. Leonardo, walking past a store, found a wooden puppet that resembled the human body and its proportions, but had no money on him to buy it. He asked Ezio if he could lend some money, however, at that moment, a [[Rosa|female thief]] bumped into him and stole his wallet.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Alvise again guided them elsewhere, near the [[Palazzo della Seta]], at which he initially wanted to take them for a closer look, but wasn't able to thanks to the recent activities around Venice. Ezio saw the harassed stall owner walk up to the guards at the entrance of the Palazzo, who demanded compensation, but the guards arrested him for "disrupting commerce" after he told them he'd report it to the Council. As they arrived at his workshop, Ezio informed Leonardo he needed to visit the Palazzo, at which Leonardo invited him to come over whenever he had more time, or if he needed another Codex page decrypted. He and Ezio parted ways there with a brotherly embrace.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Over a while, Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than a decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s Flying Machine that he learned of on the way to Romagna, hoping to use it in order to invade the Palazzo Ducale so that he could rescue [[Giovanni Mocenigo|Doge Mocenigo]] from the [[Templars]] [[Carlo Grimaldi]]. Leonardo, however, afraid of the consequences if he would be wrong about his design, thought it was too dangerous to try it out, but Ezio insisted. After that one failed test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, but was then inspired by a piece of burnt paper - which he had thrown into his fireplace - that was floating from the heat of the fire. He concluded that in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light a dozen of fires across the city which would cause the heated air to rise, therefore lifting the machine and allowing it to fly over a longer distance, to the Palazzo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

====Carnevale====
[[File:EzioLeonardoCarnevale.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ezio and Leonardo during Carnevale.]]
{{Quote|I know what this is! It's a firearm, but a miniature scale - as small as a hummingbird, in fact.|Leonardo on the Hidden Gun design|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After being accused of the murder of the Doge, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a [[Carnevale]] mask so that he would not be noticed. He also bore another codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered it contained plans for a small [[Hidden Gun|firearm]] that could be concealed upon Ezio's wrist; an ''arma da fuoco'', but as small as a humming bird, as he stated. After Ezio tested the pistol, Leonardo gave him the mask he requested and pointed him in the direction of Sister [[Teodora Contanto]] and [[Antonio de Magianis]], so he could plot to assassinate the new Doge: the Templar [[Marco Barbarigo]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Just before the Doge's party started, Leonardo met up with Ezio and let him know that [[Cristina Vespucci]] was in Venice at that time, attending Carnevale with [[Manfredo Soderini|her husband]], but he also said that it might not be a good time to see her because of that. Ezio however, having his new mask to cloak him, thought that she wouldn't recognize him anyway, going [[Cristina Memories|against]] Leonardo's advice.<ref name="AC:R">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' </ref>

====Apple from Cyprus====
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Fascinating... Absolutely fascinating...|Ezio|What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?|I could no more explain this than explain to you why the Earth goes around the sun!|Leonardo, trying to figure out what the Apple is.|Assassin's Creed II}}
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, by piecing together the markings on the back of the codex pages, such as the arrival of a 'prophet' on the day the [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]] was brought to the floating city, [[Venice]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Zw-bof2.png|thumb|250px|Leonardo, studying the Apple of Eden.]]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]]. However, even the master inventor couldn't figure out what it was, stating that it was as unexplainable as the fact that the Earth goes around the sun, at which Mario then questioned this, but Leonardo ignored him. Leonardo put together both the names of "The Apple" and "A Piece of Eden", calling the artifact like "[[Adam and Eve|Eve]]'s Apple, of Forbidden Knowledge". When Ezio touched and activated it, Leonardo bore witness to the symbols and projections the Apple emitted, while Machiavelli, along with Mario fell to the floor in pain. Ezio, slightly less affected by the Apple than both Machiavelli and Mario, quickly deactivated the artifact, learning that it should never fall into the wrong hands, since it would drive weaker minds insane.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli">''[[Assassin's Creed II]] - [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)]]''</ref>

To their dismay, Leonardo couldn't learn any more about the Apple 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, since it had a better protection and was ruled by their ally, Caterina Sforza. Mario also asked Leonardo to come and visit him at the [[Villa Auditore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli" />

====Pythagoras====
Leonardo stayed at the villa until 1499,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> where he started to become interested in the findings of [[Pythagoras]] and the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]]. He had managed to create a map pointing out the temple's location, and he drew pieces of this map with invisible ink on his paintings that hung in the villa.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

===Rome===
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|There is graver news, I am afraid. They have the Apple.|Ezio|Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario.|I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where.|Leonardo and Ezio regarding the Apple's location when meeting in Rome.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In late 1499, Leonardo was forcibly pressed into designing several [[War Machines|war machines]] for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia, who was in turn [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]]. Additionally, he was also forced to fashion the ''pistola'' that were used to kill [[Mario Auditore]]. These firearms were also used by the [[Papal Guard|Papal Guards]], and by Cesare in the [[Siege of Viana]]. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, secretly meeting with Ezio to inform him of Cesare's plans, turning over the locations of the Templars overseeing the war machines, and fashioning items for Ezio.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

====War Machines====
[[File:LeonardoDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|252px|Leonardo upon seeing Ezio in Rome.]]
To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations chosen by Leonardo and denoted with a drawing of a hand on a bench as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. 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|Fall of Monteriggioni]], along with a [[Metal Cestus#Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|reinforced glove]] to allow Ezio to re-use the Climb Leap technique, and a forearm-mounted [[Poison darts|poison dart]] launcher.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, Ezio was required to hand him the money for the raw materials upfront. After the war machines were finally destroyed, Leonardo also designed a [[Parachutes|parachute]] that could 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.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

====Parting====
[[File:Ezioleoapple.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo and Ezio discussing the Apple of Eden.]]
When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia, Ezio and Leonardo met at the [[Assassins Guilds|Assassin's 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, although Leonardo would not accept the money if it was meant to be a 'goodbye'.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

====The Pythagorean Temple====
[[File:Rollofthedice1.png|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo before being kidnapped.]]
{{Quote|Ever since my exploration of that strange Apple, [those symbols] have been stamped on my mind. I found symbols like them in the writings of the Pythagorean disciples.|Leonardo on his obsession with the Apple's projections.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
When Leonardo returned to Rome, he made contact with the [[Hermeticists|Cult of Hermes]], and he frequently visited the Cult head's ([[Ercole Massimo]]'s) personal library, in order to do more research about [[Pythagoras]], a brilliant mathematician who once also had dealings with a Piece of Eden. Eventually, Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who wanted him to give them the location of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

After hunting across Rome, Ezio Auditore managed to gather the paintings that were seized by the Borgia during the [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attack on the Villa Auditore]] in January of 1500, and with the help of Leonardo's assistant [[Salaì]] and [[Eagle Vision]], Ezio pieced together the hidden map and the temple's location.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

Leonardo had been taken away to the catacombs that led to the Temple of Pythagoras, and it was to be where Ezio caught up with him. Ezio killed all the Hermeticists, including Massimo, and rescued Leonardo. After his ordeal, Leonardo and Ezio ventured deeper into the catacombs to explore the Temple of Pythagoras together, until they eventually stumbled upon the final chamber.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

[[File:Acbdlc4sp05pythagoriantemple.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Inside the Vault.]]Ezio recognized the room's architecture - a surviving [[Temples|Temple]] designed by [[Those Who Came Before]]. Though Ezio's DNA communed with a pedestal and revealed what would be coordinates, he decided it was best to leave it, despite Leonardo being eager to learn and explore more. Leonardo was distracted by Ezio, who asked him about his future plans, which Leonardo gladly revealed as they walked out of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

====Invitation into the Order====
After his rescue from the Hermeticists, Leonardo traveled with Machiavelli and Ezio to Spain to chase Micheletto and stop him from freeing Cesare after surviving wild seas, a skirmish in a bar, long horse rides and constructing bombs. After this, Leonardo decided he had enough of traveling and fighting, and returned to Rome, leaving Ezio and Machiavelli to destroy Borgia war ships with handheld bombs he had crafted for them and battle Cesare.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref>
After Ezio killed Cesare in Navarre during the [[Siege of Viana]], Leonardo met again with Ezio and Machiavelli at Ezio's forty-eighth birthday party. Ezio offered Leonardo a place in the Assassin Order, though Leonardo refused, saying that he respected the Assassins' goals, but that he wanted to tread a different path; "a solitary one." Leonardo left for Milan afterwards, from which he would leave for [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]] in [[France]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel"/>

===Later life===
Leonardo spent his last years in France, at the home awarded to him by Francis I, who became his generous employer and close friend. Leonardo took his most famous painting, the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', with him when he retired to France in 1513. He died on his bed, with Francis by his side, on May 2, 1519.

==Characteristics and personality==
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Leo - does this machine of yours actually ''work''? [...]|Leonardo|Well, it's in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet - but I think, in all modesty, that - yes! Of course it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it! It's an idea that just won't let go of me!|Leonardo's attitude on his Flying Machine design.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:LeonardoJoke.png|thumb|260px|left|Leonardo, before 'removing' Ezio's finger.]]
Leonardo da Vinci was a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio was his best friend, and as such, he treated him like a brother and had taken great risks to protect him, even though he said later that courage was 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 met Ezio, he complained that it lacked purpose and he wishes to do something which had more impact on the world, such as architecture. Regardless, when Leonardo was intrigued by something, he became insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brought him [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]]'s Codex pages for decryption.

Leonardo was often forgetful and easily distracted. Ezio exploited this in the [[Pythagorean Vault]] by asking Leonardo about his projects, taking his mind off the mysterious images and numbers they were gazing at.

Leonardo also seemed to be homosexual, as this was hinted to multiple times, and he appeared to be in a relationship with his assistant, Salaì.

==Legacy==
[[File:ACB-TDVD-LeonardoWorkshop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One of Leonardo's workshops.]]
Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the ''Mona Lisa'' and ''[[wikipedia:The Last Supper|The Last Supper]]'', are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, their fame approached only by [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Creation of Adam|Creation of Adam]]''. Leonardo's drawing of the [[wikipedia:Vitruvian Man|Vitruvian Man]] is also regarded as a cultural icon.

Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survived; 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; indeed, Leonardo could arguably be considered the most iconic artist of the Italian Renaissance, with only a handful of his contemporaries (most notably Leonardo's chief artistic rival and fellow Florentine, Michelangelo Buonarroti) posing a realistic challenge.

[[File:ACBSP_2011-04-12_00-08-19-92.png|thumb|250px|left|The unfinished Mona Lisa.]]
Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualized 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.

==Trivia==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Focus On|thumb|250px|Leonardo da Vinci - Genius Inventor]]
===History===
*Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci," identifying the town of his birth, much in the same manner that "Ezio Auditore da Firenze" shows that Ezio was born in Florence. Historically, surnames as modern society know them were still fairly uncommon (though not unheard of) into the 15th century.
*Historically, Leonardo was really a close friend and military engineer for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia.
*Interestingly, in author Dan Brown's novel ''[[wikipedia: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 ''[[wikipedia:The Priory of Sion|The Priory of Sion]]'', an organization that was allegedly connected with the Knights Templar.
*Ezio uses a [[Wikipedia:Wheellock|wheellock 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.
*In reality, Leonardo was based in [[Milan]] between 1482 and 1499. There, he worked in the service of Ludovico il Moro. He fled to [[Venice]] in 1499, where he worked as a military architect and engineer until his return to [[Florence]] in 1500.

===Inventions and art===
*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.
*When Ezio accidentally activates the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]] in Venice, 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, as well as showing him a vision of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].
*[[File:Mapofimola.jpg|thumb|Leonardo's map of Imola.]]Additionally, when the Apple is activated, both Ezio and Leonardo are largely unaffected, although they are still blinded by the light. Mario and Machiavelli, however, are crippled by the loud noise and are unable to stand.
*Eight of the thirty collectible [[paintings]] that are placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by Leonardo. They play a significant role in the ''Brotherhood'' DLC, ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in-game; on a wall in the [[Hideout]], in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a [[Lairs of Romulus|Lair of Romulus]], on the ground. It also appeared on a wall in his workshop in [[Florence]] in [[Assassin's Creed II]], even though he would not have completed it until 1502.

===Appearance and behavior===
*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. This was rectified in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', where Leonardo is depicted older with a longer beard and slightly greying hair.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', 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.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', Leonardo is shown as right-handed, but in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', he is left-handed, as he was known to be in real life.
*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 the designs he needs. 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 is a reference to the widely-held belief that the real-life Leonardo was homosexual.
*While exploring the [[Temple of Pythagoras|Pythagorean Temple]], Ezio and Leonardo have a brief conversation about Leonardo's assistant Salaì. Leonardo asks where he is, and quickly clarifies that he is only concerned about Salaì's careless spending. Ezio, however, merely comments that Salaì fits Leonardo, and that he approves. Leonardo is left nervously speechless. This is a reference to another belief that the real-life Leonardo had a homosexual relationship with Salaì.

===Others===
*Leonardo has the same voice actor as the [[Rafiq]] in Damascus from ''Assassins Creed'', [[Carlos Ferro]].
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the only time the player can explore Leonardo's Workshop is when they are disposing of the dead body in [[Ace Up My Sleeve]]. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,'' it can only be explored while assembling Leonardo's map during [[Decoding Da Vinci]] as part of ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*During the second Cristina mission in ''Assassins Creed: Brotherhood'', Ezio can explore the interior of Leonardo's Workshop in Florence.
*In one of Ezio Auditore's [[Cristina Memories]] in Venice, Leonardo tells Ezio that [[Cristina Vespucci|Cristina]] was attending Carnevale; even hinting that they might be close, despite Leonardo having nothing to do with Cristina in the majority of the two games. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' it is revealed that he knew because Cristina was a guest of his patron.
*In the [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|novel for ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'']], Leonardo is invited to join the Brotherhood. However, he declines, saying that though he will always support their goals, he is on a different path, one that is solitary.
*You can kill Leonardo right before the mission (while, and after, you walk with him) "All Things Come To He Who Waits", as well as the quest "[[Friend of the Family]] ".
*The Strategical map of Rome comes with the Codex edition of ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. On the map, there is some mirrored writing. Historically, Leonardo was very skilled in thee mirrored writing.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardoartwork1.jpg|Leonardo's concept art.
Leo.JPG|In-game ''Assassin's Creed II'' model.
Leonardo_workshop.jpg|Leonardo's workshop.
LeonardoVisions.png|Leonardo as seeing the projections of the Apple.
Da Vinci 2.jpg|Leonardo da Vinci's concept art
assassins-creed-2-leonardo-davinci.jpg|Database Entry Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci
assassins-creed-brotherhood-Leonardo-da-vinci-50p.jpg|Ezio and Leonardo in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Bench.jpg|A bench, marked by Leonardo.
</gallery>
===Da Vinci's Designs===
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardo's_Flying_machine_Design.jpg|Flying machine.
Armored_car.jpg|Tank.
Gun_l.jpg|12-barelled gun.
Leonardo Davinci.jpeg|Self-portrait
Crossbow design LDV.jpg|Leonardo's crossbow design
Leonardo's Parachute.jpg|Leonardo's parachute design
2 The-Last-Supper.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper
mona-lisa-painting.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinci, Leonardo da}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Novel) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Ascendance Characters]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

Leonardo da Vinci

2011-09-26T18:13:42Z

86.135.150.17: /* Later life */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|Project Legacy|Ascendance|Featured}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
|image = Leonardo.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 15 April, 1452 [[wikipedia:Vinci|Vinci]], [[Italy]]
|death = 2 May, 1519 (aged 67) [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]], [[France]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] (Allies)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|voice = [[Carlos Ferro]]}}
{{quote|One thing I am not, is a man of violence.|Leonardo to [[Ezio Auditore de Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] in [[Valencia]], 1505.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)}}
'''Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci''' (1452 – 1519) was an [[Italy|Italian]] polymath: an artist and engineering genius during the [[Renaissance|Renaissance era]], famous for the painting of several masterpieces, including the [[Mona Lisa]].

Born in the town of Vinci, just outside of [[Florence]], Leonardo became an apprentice to [[Andrea del Verrocchio]] and quickly completed his training. By 1476, Leonardo had earned the patronage of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], and sold many paintings to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]]. In that year, Leonardo met Giovanni's second child, a young [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]; the two soon struck up a friendship, both professional and personal, that would last their entire lives.

Throughout his life, Leonardo aided in his close friend's quest for vengeance against [[Rodrigo Borgia]] and his [[Templars]] followers; decoding [[Codex]] pages and providing unique weapons and technologies to the fledgling [[Assassin]], all the meanwhile maintaining his own, personal life.

In 1500, Leonardo was abducted by [[Cesare Borgia]], the son of Rodrigo Borgia, and forced to construct [[war machines]] for the [[Papacy|Papal armies]]. Throughout this time however, Leonardo continued to feed intelligence and technologies back to his Assassin allies. Following the Borgias' expulsion from [[Rome]], Leonardo was kidnapped by the [[Cult of Hermes]] and forced to reveal the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]] and, following his rescue, joined his oldest friend, Ezio Auditore, during his exploration of the [[Pythagorean Vault]].

Following these events, Leonardo moved to France, eventually retiring in 1513.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in Vinci, a town outside of [[Florence]], Italy, to a Florentine notary named [[wikipedia:Piero da Vinci|Piero da Vinci]] and a local woman named Caterina. He spent most of his early childhood in nearby rural [[Tuscany]] so as to spare his father the embarrassment of a scandal. However, young Leonardo's innate artistic prowess was obvious to his elders even then, and when he turned fourteen he was returned to Florence, apprenticed to the workshop of renowned painter [[Andrea del Verrocchio]]; while there, he is said to have collaborated with the Verrocchio on his masterpiece, ''[[wikipedia:Baptism of Christ|Baptism of Christ]]''.

===Florence===
At age 20, Leonardo was titled a master by the [[wikipedia:Guild of Saint 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]], of which he sold most of his paintings to.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

====Meeting Ezio====
{{Dialogue|Leonardo|I often feel that my work lacks... I don't know... purpose.|Maria|You should have more faith in yourself, Leonardo.|Leonardo, Maria and Ezio on their way to the Palazzo.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:Friend 3 v.png|thumb|right|250px|Leonardo upon his meeting with Ezio.]]
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. The two conversed inside the workshop of the artist, talking about Leonardo's paintings, and what else he could do aside from painting, at which Ezio remarked to his mother that Leonardo wouldn't come that far, seeing that he wasn't even capable of keeping his workplace tidy. Ezio's mother however, was very confident of Leonardo's future, complimenting him multiple times on his talent and telling him he should have more faith in himself.<ref name="AC:R"/>

Soon after their conversation, the three headed back to the [[Palazzo Auditore]], Ezio and Leonardo carrying one box each, filled with paintings to hang on the walls. Again Ezio commented on Leonardo's seeming incapability, but he soon felt he was wrong about the so-called "fledgling artist" as they arrived at the Palazzo, noting that Leonardo was one to respect. This encounter sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.<ref name="AC:R"/>

{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Anything which shines glints in the sun, and that's a dead giveaway.|Ezio|I thought you were a man of peace.|Ideas take precedence.|Ezio commenting on Leonardo after he finished his Hidden Blade.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After the [[Auditore Execution|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]] he had inherited from his father. Leonardo was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, as it, despite its old age, was way ahead of even their time.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:LeonardoCodex.png|left|250px|thumb|Leonardo studying the first Codex page.]]At first he had no idea how to repair it, but soon he discovered that [[Codex|the scroll]] Ezio had included with the weapon could be decrypted and used as a manual, at which he started to decode it. It took Leonardo some hours before he had finally finished the repairs to the Hidden Blade. Leonardo woke up Ezio, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, and handed the weapon over to him. Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed, because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." This was to his own amusement however, as it is shown that he simply embedded the cleaver into the table next to Ezio's hand. He explained that the blade had been modified so that the removal of the finger was no longer necessary.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="AC:R"/>

Immediately after this, a Florentine [[guards|guard]] showed up at Leonardo's workshop. Leonardo responded and told Ezio to stay in his workshop, while he opened the door for the guard, keeping him outside. The guard knew that he had been in contact with Ezio, and as Leonardo tried to act ignorant of the [[Assassins|Assassin]], the guard threw him to the ground and started kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts. Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and tested out his newly acquired weapon on him. Afterwards, Ezio hid the body inside the workshop with others upon Leonardo's request – as the bodies were used for his anatomical research.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Codexleo.png|thumb|right|250px|Ezio handing Leonardo a Codex page.]]
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 as explained on the codex page in Leonardo's yard with straw dummies - set up by one of his students, Vincenzo - Leonardo constructed a second Hidden Blade to be put at his friend's disposal. Shortly after practicing with his Hidden Blade, Ezio inquired about [[Francesco de' Pazzi]], which prompted Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out [[La Volpe]] ("The Fox"). Leonardo suspiciously told Ezio that La Volpe had [[thieves|eyes]] everywhere, that he sees everything, but no one sees him. He said that Ezio could find him at the [[Mercato Vecchio]], and he reminded him to be careful. After this, Leonardo appeared at several instances in which Ezio simply visited him to decipher codex pages.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

{{Quote|In high enough doses, that which can cure, can kill.|Leonardo on the Poison Blade.|Assassin's Creed II}}
After Ezio put an end to the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]], he visited Leonardo once more, who had been deeply worried about his friend, knowing about the recent "madness" going on in Florence. He was soon cheered up by yet another Codex page, that Ezio had received 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 had been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison through it and into their enemies for a more subtle kill, without weakening its structure. Leonardo was done manufacturing the design rather quickly, telling Ezio that if he ran out of poison, to visit a [[doctors|doctor]], which initially confused him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

====Moving to Venice====
[[File:EzioLeo2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo with Ezio traveling to Venice.]]
{{Quote|Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly.|Leonardo answering Ezio on his flying machine.|Assassin's Creed II}}
Leonardo once again met Ezio in the [[Appennine Mountains]] after the fall of the Pazzi Conspirators. The artist was faced with the problem of a broken [[wagon]] wheel and, lacking the means fix it himself, asked Ezio to lift the carriage. Ezio noticed the contraption inside the wagon and asked about it, which triggered the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his [[Flying Machine]] and told anyone about it, saying he couldn't keep it just for himself anymore. Ezio, amused by Leonardo’s idea, offered him to drive, at which Leonardo curiously reacted that he hadn't even told him where they were going, and they set off for [[Romagna]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], threatening their lives all the way through the Mountains. Ezio held them off by steering the wagon into the horses of the soldiers and dodging the burning arrows the soldiers had started shooting at them. In the meantime, Leonardo was safely hidden inside the wagon. At the end of the trail, Ezio stayed behind to deal with the soldiers, so Leonardo could get to Romagna safely. The two 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]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Venice===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor who built...this...this pezzo di merda.|Leonardo|Hey! It's not the machine's fault!...It's mine. I've checked and rechecked my blueprints. It's just impossible! [...] Ah, che idea del cazzo!|Leonardo and Ezio, visited by Antonio after the failed test flight.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AC2LeonardoFire.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo noticing the floating paper.]]
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. During the tour, the three stopped at the market of Venice, where suddenly a few guards started harassing a stall owner under the command of [[Emilio Barbarigo]]. Alvise advised them to follow him elsewhere. Leonardo, walking past a store, found a wooden puppet that resembled the human body and its proportions, but had no money on him to buy it. He asked Ezio if he could lend some money, however, at that moment, a [[Rosa|female thief]] bumped into him and stole his wallet.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Alvise again guided them elsewhere, near the [[Palazzo della Seta]], at which he initially wanted to take them for a closer look, but wasn't able to thanks to the recent activities around Venice. Ezio saw the harassed stall owner walk up to the guards at the entrance of the Palazzo, who demanded compensation, but the guards arrested him for "disrupting commerce" after he told them he'd report it to the Council. As they arrived at his workshop, Ezio informed Leonardo he needed to visit the Palazzo, at which Leonardo invited him to come over whenever he had more time, or if he needed another Codex page decrypted. He and Ezio parted ways there with a brotherly embrace.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Over a while, Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than a decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s Flying Machine that he learned of on the way to Romagna, hoping to use it in order to invade the Palazzo Ducale so that he could rescue [[Giovanni Mocenigo|Doge Mocenigo]] from the [[Templars]] [[Carlo Grimaldi]]. Leonardo, however, afraid of the consequences if he would be wrong about his design, thought it was too dangerous to try it out, but Ezio insisted. After that one failed test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, but was then inspired by a piece of burnt paper - which he had thrown into his fireplace - that was floating from the heat of the fire. He concluded that in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light a dozen of fires across the city which would cause the heated air to rise, therefore lifting the machine and allowing it to fly over a longer distance, to the Palazzo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

====Carnevale====
[[File:EzioLeonardoCarnevale.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ezio and Leonardo during Carnevale.]]
{{Quote|I know what this is! It's a firearm, but a miniature scale - as small as a hummingbird, in fact.|Leonardo on the Hidden Gun design|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After being accused of the murder of the Doge, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a [[Carnevale]] mask so that he would not be noticed. He also bore another codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered it contained plans for a small [[Hidden Gun|firearm]] that could be concealed upon Ezio's wrist; an ''arma da fuoco'', but as small as a humming bird, as he stated. After Ezio tested the pistol, Leonardo gave him the mask he requested and pointed him in the direction of Sister [[Teodora Contanto]] and [[Antonio de Magianis]], so he could plot to assassinate the new Doge: the Templar [[Marco Barbarigo]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Just before the Doge's party started, Leonardo met up with Ezio and let him know that [[Cristina Vespucci]] was in Venice at that time, attending Carnevale with [[Manfredo Soderini|her husband]], but he also said that it might not be a good time to see her because of that. Ezio however, having his new mask to cloak him, thought that she wouldn't recognize him anyway, going [[Cristina Memories|against]] Leonardo's advice.<ref name="AC:R">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' </ref>

====Apple from Cyprus====
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Fascinating... Absolutely fascinating...|Ezio|What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?|I could no more explain this than explain to you why the Earth goes around the sun!|Leonardo, trying to figure out what the Apple is.|Assassin's Creed II}}
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, by piecing together the markings on the back of the codex pages, such as the arrival of a 'prophet' on the day the [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]] was brought to the floating city, [[Venice]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Zw-bof2.png|thumb|250px|Leonardo, studying the Apple of Eden.]]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]]. However, even the master inventor couldn't figure out what it was, stating that it was as unexplainable as the fact that the Earth goes around the sun, at which Mario then questioned this, but Leonardo ignored him. Leonardo put together both the names of "The Apple" and "A Piece of Eden", calling the artifact like "[[Adam and Eve|Eve]]'s Apple, of Forbidden Knowledge". When Ezio touched and activated it, Leonardo bore witness to the symbols and projections the Apple emitted, while Machiavelli, along with Mario fell to the floor in pain. Ezio, slightly less affected by the Apple than both Machiavelli and Mario, quickly deactivated the artifact, learning that it should never fall into the wrong hands, since it would drive weaker minds insane.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli">''[[Assassin's Creed II]] - [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)]]''</ref>

To their dismay, Leonardo couldn't learn any more about the Apple 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, since it had a better protection and was ruled by their ally, Caterina Sforza. Mario also asked Leonardo to come and visit him at the [[Villa Auditore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli" />

====Pythagoras====
Leonardo stayed at the villa until 1499,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> where he started to become interested in the findings of [[Pythagoras]] and the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]]. He had managed to create a map pointing out the temple's location, and he drew pieces of this map with invisible ink on his paintings that hung in the villa.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

===Rome===
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|There is graver news, I am afraid. They have the Apple.|Ezio|Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario.|I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where.|Leonardo and Ezio regarding the Apple's location when meeting in Rome.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In late 1499, Leonardo was forcibly pressed into designing several [[War Machines|war machines]] for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia, who was in turn [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]]. Additionally, he was also forced to fashion the ''pistola'' that were used to kill [[Mario Auditore]]. These firearms were also used by the [[Papal Guard|Papal Guards]], and by Cesare in the [[Siege of Viana]]. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, secretly meeting with Ezio to inform him of Cesare's plans, turning over the locations of the Templars overseeing the war machines, and fashioning items for Ezio.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

====War Machines====
[[File:LeonardoDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|252px|Leonardo upon seeing Ezio in Rome.]]
To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations chosen by Leonardo and denoted with a drawing of a hand on a bench as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. 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|Fall of Monteriggioni]], along with a [[Metal Cestus#Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|reinforced glove]] to allow Ezio to re-use the Climb Leap technique, and a forearm-mounted [[Poison darts|poison dart]] launcher.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, Ezio was required to hand him the money for the raw materials upfront. After the war machines were finally destroyed, Leonardo also designed a [[Parachutes|parachute]] that could 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.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

====Parting====
[[File:Ezioleoapple.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo and Ezio discussing the Apple of Eden.]]
When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia, Ezio and Leonardo met at the [[Assassins Guilds|Assassin's 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, although Leonardo would not accept the money if it was meant to be a 'goodbye'.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

====The Pythagorean Temple====
[[File:Rollofthedice1.png|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo before being kidnapped.]]
{{Quote|Ever since my exploration of that strange Apple, [those symbols] have been stamped on my mind. I found symbols like them in the writings of the Pythagorean disciples.|Leonardo on his obsession with the Apple's projections.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
When Leonardo returned to Rome, he made contact with the [[Hermeticists|Cult of Hermes]], and he frequently visited the Cult head's ([[Ercole Massimo]]'s) personal library, in order to do more research about [[Pythagoras]], a brilliant mathematician who once also had dealings with a Piece of Eden. Eventually, Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who wanted him to give them the location of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

After hunting across Rome, Ezio Auditore managed to gather the paintings that were seized by the Borgia during the [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attack on the Villa Auditore]] in January of 1500, and with the help of Leonardo's assistant [[Salaì]] and [[Eagle Vision]], Ezio pieced together the hidden map and the temple's location.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

Leonardo had been taken away to the catacombs that led to the Temple of Pythagoras, and it was to be where Ezio caught up with him. Ezio killed all the Hermeticists, including Massimo, and rescued Leonardo. After his ordeal, Leonardo and Ezio ventured deeper into the catacombs to explore the Temple of Pythagoras together, until they eventually stumbled upon the final chamber.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

[[File:Acbdlc4sp05pythagoriantemple.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Inside the Vault.]]Ezio recognized the room's architecture - a surviving [[Temples|Temple]] designed by [[Those Who Came Before]]. Though Ezio's DNA communed with a pedestal and revealed what would be coordinates, he decided it was best to leave it, despite Leonardo being eager to learn and explore more. Leonardo was distracted by Ezio, who asked him about his future plans, which Leonardo gladly revealed as they walked out of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

====Invitation into the Order====
After his rescue from the Hermeticists, Leonardo traveled with Machiavelli and Ezio to Spain to chase Micheletto and stop him from freeing Cesare after surviving wild seas, a skirmish in a bar, long horse rides and constructing bombs. After this, Leonardo decided he had enough of traveling and fighting, and returned to Rome, leaving Ezio and Machiavelli to destroy Borgia war ships with handheld bombs he had crafted for them and battle Cesare.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref>
After Ezio killed Cesare in Navarre during the [[Siege of Viana]], Leonardo met again with Ezio and Machiavelli at Ezio's forty-eighth birthday party. Ezio offered Leonardo a place in the Assassin Order, though Leonardo refused, saying that he respected the Assassins' goals, but that he wanted to tread a different path; "a solitary one." Leonardo left for Milan afterwards, from which he would leave for [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]] in [[France]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel"/>

===Later life===
Leonardo spent his last years in France, at the home awarded to him by Francis I, who became his generous employer and close friend. Leonardo took his most famous painting, the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', with him when he retired to France in 1513. He died on his bed, with Francis by his side, on May 2, 1519.

==Characteristics and personality==
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Leo - does this machine of yours actually ''work''? [...]|Leonardo|Well, it's in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet - but I think, in all modesty, that - yes! Of course it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it! It's an idea that just won't let go of me!|Leonardo's attitude on his Flying Machine design.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:LeonardoJoke.png|thumb|260px|left|Leonardo, before 'removing' Ezio's finger.]]
Leonardo da Vinci was a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio was his best friend, and as such, he treated him like a brother and had taken great risks to protect him, even though he said later that courage was 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 met Ezio, he complained that it lacked purpose and he wishes to do something which had more impact on the world, such as architecture. Regardless, when Leonardo was intrigued by something, he became insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brought him [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]]'s Codex pages for decryption.

Leonardo was often forgetful and easily distracted. Ezio exploited this in the [[Pythagorean Vault]] by asking Leonardo about his projects, taking his mind off the mysterious images and numbers they were gazing at.

Leonardo also seemed to be homosexual, as this was hinted to multiple times, and he appeared to be in a relationship with his assistant, Salaì.

==Legacy==
[[File:ACB-TDVD-LeonardoWorkshop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One of Leonardo's workshops.]]
Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the ''Mona Lisa'' and ''[[wikipedia:The Last Supper|The Last Supper]]'', are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, their fame approached only by [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Creation of Adam|Creation of Adam]]''. Leonardo's drawing of the [[wikipedia:Vitruvian Man|Vitruvian Man]] is also regarded as a cultural icon.

Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survived; 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; indeed, Leonardo could arguably be considered the most iconic artist of the Italian Renaissance, with only a handful of his contemporaries (most notably Leonardo's chief artistic rival and fellow Florentine, Michelangelo Buonarroti) posing a realistic challenge.

[[File:ACBSP_2011-04-12_00-08-19-92.png|thumb|250px|left|The unfinished Mona Lisa.]]
Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualized 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.

==Trivia==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Focus On|thumb|250px|Leonardo da Vinci - Genius Inventor]]
===History===
*Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci," identifying the town of his birth, much in the same manner that "Ezio Auditore da Firenze" shows that Ezio was born in Florence. Historically, surnames as modern society know them were still fairly uncommon (though not unheard of) into the 15th century.
*Historically, Leonardo would later become a close friend and military engineer for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia.
*Interestingly, in author Dan Brown's novel ''[[wikipedia: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 ''[[wikipedia:The Priory of Sion|The Priory of Sion]]'', an organization that was allegedly connected with the Knights Templar.
*Ezio uses a [[Wikipedia:Wheellock|wheellock 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.
*In reality, Leonardo was based in [[Milan]] between 1482 and 1499. There, he worked in the service of Ludovico il Moro. He fled to [[Venice]] in 1499, where he worked as a military architect and engineer until his return to [[Florence]] in 1500.

===Inventions and art===
*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.
*When Ezio accidentally activates the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]] in Venice, 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, as well as showing him a vision of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].
*[[File:Mapofimola.jpg|thumb|Leonardo's map of Imola.]]Additionally, when the Apple is activated, both Ezio and Leonardo are largely unaffected, although they are still blinded by the light. Mario and Machiavelli, however, are crippled by the loud noise and are unable to stand.
*Eight of the thirty collectible [[paintings]] that are placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by Leonardo. They play a significant role in the ''Brotherhood'' DLC, ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in-game; on a wall in the [[Hideout]], in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a [[Lairs of Romulus|Lair of Romulus]], on the ground. It also appeared on a wall in his workshop in [[Florence]] in [[Assassin's Creed II]], even though he would not have completed it until 1502.

===Appearance and behavior===
*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. This was rectified in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', where Leonardo is depicted older with a longer beard and slightly greying hair.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', 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.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', Leonardo is shown as right-handed, but in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', he is left-handed, as he was known to be in real life.
*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 the designs he needs. 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 is a reference to the widely-held belief that the real-life Leonardo was homosexual.
*While exploring the [[Temple of Pythagoras|Pythagorean Temple]], Ezio and Leonardo have a brief conversation about Leonardo's assistant Salaì. Leonardo asks where he is, and quickly clarifies that he is only concerned about Salaì's careless spending. Ezio, however, merely comments that Salaì fits Leonardo, and that he approves. Leonardo is left nervously speechless. This is a reference to another belief that the real-life Leonardo had a homosexual relationship with Salaì.

===Others===
*Leonardo has the same voice actor as the [[Rafiq]] in Damascus from ''Assassins Creed'', [[Carlos Ferro]].
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the only time the player can explore Leonardo's Workshop is when they are disposing of the dead body in [[Ace Up My Sleeve]]. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,'' it can only be explored while assembling Leonardo's map during [[Decoding Da Vinci]] as part of ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*During the second Cristina mission in ''Assassins Creed: Brotherhood'', Ezio can explore the interior of Leonardo's Workshop in Florence.
*In one of Ezio Auditore's [[Cristina Memories]] in Venice, Leonardo tells Ezio that [[Cristina Vespucci|Cristina]] was attending Carnevale; even hinting that they might be close, despite Leonardo having nothing to do with Cristina in the majority of the two games. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' it is revealed that he knew because Cristina was a guest of his patron.
*In the [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|novel for ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'']], Leonardo is invited to join the Brotherhood. However, he declines, saying that though he will always support their goals, he is on a different path, one that is solitary.
*You can kill Leonardo right before the mission (while, and after, you walk with him) "All Things Come To He Who Waits", as well as the quest "[[Friend of the Family]] ".
*The Strategical map of Rome comes with the Codex edition of ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. On the map, there is some mirrored writing. Historically, Leonardo was very skilled in thee mirrored writing.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardoartwork1.jpg|Leonardo's concept art.
Leo.JPG|In-game ''Assassin's Creed II'' model.
Leonardo_workshop.jpg|Leonardo's workshop.
LeonardoVisions.png|Leonardo as seeing the projections of the Apple.
Da Vinci 2.jpg|Leonardo da Vinci's concept art
assassins-creed-2-leonardo-davinci.jpg|Database Entry Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci
assassins-creed-brotherhood-Leonardo-da-vinci-50p.jpg|Ezio and Leonardo in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Bench.jpg|A bench, marked by Leonardo.
</gallery>
===Da Vinci's Designs===
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardo's_Flying_machine_Design.jpg|Flying machine.
Armored_car.jpg|Tank.
Gun_l.jpg|12-barelled gun.
Leonardo Davinci.jpeg|Self-portrait
Crossbow design LDV.jpg|Leonardo's crossbow design
Leonardo's Parachute.jpg|Leonardo's parachute design
2 The-Last-Supper.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper
mona-lisa-painting.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinci, Leonardo da}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Novel) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Ascendance Characters]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

Leonardo da Vinci

2011-09-26T18:12:04Z

86.135.150.17: /* Invitation into the Order */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|Project Legacy|Ascendance|Featured}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
|image = Leonardo.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 15 April, 1452 [[wikipedia:Vinci|Vinci]], [[Italy]]
|death = 2 May, 1519 (aged 67) [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]], [[France]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] (Allies)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|voice = [[Carlos Ferro]]}}
{{quote|One thing I am not, is a man of violence.|Leonardo to [[Ezio Auditore de Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] in [[Valencia]], 1505.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)}}
'''Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci''' (1452 – 1519) was an [[Italy|Italian]] polymath: an artist and engineering genius during the [[Renaissance|Renaissance era]], famous for the painting of several masterpieces, including the [[Mona Lisa]].

Born in the town of Vinci, just outside of [[Florence]], Leonardo became an apprentice to [[Andrea del Verrocchio]] and quickly completed his training. By 1476, Leonardo had earned the patronage of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], and sold many paintings to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]]. In that year, Leonardo met Giovanni's second child, a young [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]; the two soon struck up a friendship, both professional and personal, that would last their entire lives.

Throughout his life, Leonardo aided in his close friend's quest for vengeance against [[Rodrigo Borgia]] and his [[Templars]] followers; decoding [[Codex]] pages and providing unique weapons and technologies to the fledgling [[Assassin]], all the meanwhile maintaining his own, personal life.

In 1500, Leonardo was abducted by [[Cesare Borgia]], the son of Rodrigo Borgia, and forced to construct [[war machines]] for the [[Papacy|Papal armies]]. Throughout this time however, Leonardo continued to feed intelligence and technologies back to his Assassin allies. Following the Borgias' expulsion from [[Rome]], Leonardo was kidnapped by the [[Cult of Hermes]] and forced to reveal the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]] and, following his rescue, joined his oldest friend, Ezio Auditore, during his exploration of the [[Pythagorean Vault]].

Following these events, Leonardo moved to France, eventually retiring in 1513.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in Vinci, a town outside of [[Florence]], Italy, to a Florentine notary named [[wikipedia:Piero da Vinci|Piero da Vinci]] and a local woman named Caterina. He spent most of his early childhood in nearby rural [[Tuscany]] so as to spare his father the embarrassment of a scandal. However, young Leonardo's innate artistic prowess was obvious to his elders even then, and when he turned fourteen he was returned to Florence, apprenticed to the workshop of renowned painter [[Andrea del Verrocchio]]; while there, he is said to have collaborated with the Verrocchio on his masterpiece, ''[[wikipedia:Baptism of Christ|Baptism of Christ]]''.

===Florence===
At age 20, Leonardo was titled a master by the [[wikipedia:Guild of Saint 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]], of which he sold most of his paintings to.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

====Meeting Ezio====
{{Dialogue|Leonardo|I often feel that my work lacks... I don't know... purpose.|Maria|You should have more faith in yourself, Leonardo.|Leonardo, Maria and Ezio on their way to the Palazzo.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:Friend 3 v.png|thumb|right|250px|Leonardo upon his meeting with Ezio.]]
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. The two conversed inside the workshop of the artist, talking about Leonardo's paintings, and what else he could do aside from painting, at which Ezio remarked to his mother that Leonardo wouldn't come that far, seeing that he wasn't even capable of keeping his workplace tidy. Ezio's mother however, was very confident of Leonardo's future, complimenting him multiple times on his talent and telling him he should have more faith in himself.<ref name="AC:R"/>

Soon after their conversation, the three headed back to the [[Palazzo Auditore]], Ezio and Leonardo carrying one box each, filled with paintings to hang on the walls. Again Ezio commented on Leonardo's seeming incapability, but he soon felt he was wrong about the so-called "fledgling artist" as they arrived at the Palazzo, noting that Leonardo was one to respect. This encounter sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.<ref name="AC:R"/>

{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Anything which shines glints in the sun, and that's a dead giveaway.|Ezio|I thought you were a man of peace.|Ideas take precedence.|Ezio commenting on Leonardo after he finished his Hidden Blade.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After the [[Auditore Execution|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]] he had inherited from his father. Leonardo was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, as it, despite its old age, was way ahead of even their time.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:LeonardoCodex.png|left|250px|thumb|Leonardo studying the first Codex page.]]At first he had no idea how to repair it, but soon he discovered that [[Codex|the scroll]] Ezio had included with the weapon could be decrypted and used as a manual, at which he started to decode it. It took Leonardo some hours before he had finally finished the repairs to the Hidden Blade. Leonardo woke up Ezio, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, and handed the weapon over to him. Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed, because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." This was to his own amusement however, as it is shown that he simply embedded the cleaver into the table next to Ezio's hand. He explained that the blade had been modified so that the removal of the finger was no longer necessary.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="AC:R"/>

Immediately after this, a Florentine [[guards|guard]] showed up at Leonardo's workshop. Leonardo responded and told Ezio to stay in his workshop, while he opened the door for the guard, keeping him outside. The guard knew that he had been in contact with Ezio, and as Leonardo tried to act ignorant of the [[Assassins|Assassin]], the guard threw him to the ground and started kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts. Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and tested out his newly acquired weapon on him. Afterwards, Ezio hid the body inside the workshop with others upon Leonardo's request – as the bodies were used for his anatomical research.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Codexleo.png|thumb|right|250px|Ezio handing Leonardo a Codex page.]]
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 as explained on the codex page in Leonardo's yard with straw dummies - set up by one of his students, Vincenzo - Leonardo constructed a second Hidden Blade to be put at his friend's disposal. Shortly after practicing with his Hidden Blade, Ezio inquired about [[Francesco de' Pazzi]], which prompted Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out [[La Volpe]] ("The Fox"). Leonardo suspiciously told Ezio that La Volpe had [[thieves|eyes]] everywhere, that he sees everything, but no one sees him. He said that Ezio could find him at the [[Mercato Vecchio]], and he reminded him to be careful. After this, Leonardo appeared at several instances in which Ezio simply visited him to decipher codex pages.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

{{Quote|In high enough doses, that which can cure, can kill.|Leonardo on the Poison Blade.|Assassin's Creed II}}
After Ezio put an end to the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]], he visited Leonardo once more, who had been deeply worried about his friend, knowing about the recent "madness" going on in Florence. He was soon cheered up by yet another Codex page, that Ezio had received 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 had been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison through it and into their enemies for a more subtle kill, without weakening its structure. Leonardo was done manufacturing the design rather quickly, telling Ezio that if he ran out of poison, to visit a [[doctors|doctor]], which initially confused him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

====Moving to Venice====
[[File:EzioLeo2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo with Ezio traveling to Venice.]]
{{Quote|Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly.|Leonardo answering Ezio on his flying machine.|Assassin's Creed II}}
Leonardo once again met Ezio in the [[Appennine Mountains]] after the fall of the Pazzi Conspirators. The artist was faced with the problem of a broken [[wagon]] wheel and, lacking the means fix it himself, asked Ezio to lift the carriage. Ezio noticed the contraption inside the wagon and asked about it, which triggered the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his [[Flying Machine]] and told anyone about it, saying he couldn't keep it just for himself anymore. Ezio, amused by Leonardo’s idea, offered him to drive, at which Leonardo curiously reacted that he hadn't even told him where they were going, and they set off for [[Romagna]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], threatening their lives all the way through the Mountains. Ezio held them off by steering the wagon into the horses of the soldiers and dodging the burning arrows the soldiers had started shooting at them. In the meantime, Leonardo was safely hidden inside the wagon. At the end of the trail, Ezio stayed behind to deal with the soldiers, so Leonardo could get to Romagna safely. The two 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]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Venice===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor who built...this...this pezzo di merda.|Leonardo|Hey! It's not the machine's fault!...It's mine. I've checked and rechecked my blueprints. It's just impossible! [...] Ah, che idea del cazzo!|Leonardo and Ezio, visited by Antonio after the failed test flight.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AC2LeonardoFire.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo noticing the floating paper.]]
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. During the tour, the three stopped at the market of Venice, where suddenly a few guards started harassing a stall owner under the command of [[Emilio Barbarigo]]. Alvise advised them to follow him elsewhere. Leonardo, walking past a store, found a wooden puppet that resembled the human body and its proportions, but had no money on him to buy it. He asked Ezio if he could lend some money, however, at that moment, a [[Rosa|female thief]] bumped into him and stole his wallet.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Alvise again guided them elsewhere, near the [[Palazzo della Seta]], at which he initially wanted to take them for a closer look, but wasn't able to thanks to the recent activities around Venice. Ezio saw the harassed stall owner walk up to the guards at the entrance of the Palazzo, who demanded compensation, but the guards arrested him for "disrupting commerce" after he told them he'd report it to the Council. As they arrived at his workshop, Ezio informed Leonardo he needed to visit the Palazzo, at which Leonardo invited him to come over whenever he had more time, or if he needed another Codex page decrypted. He and Ezio parted ways there with a brotherly embrace.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Over a while, Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than a decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s Flying Machine that he learned of on the way to Romagna, hoping to use it in order to invade the Palazzo Ducale so that he could rescue [[Giovanni Mocenigo|Doge Mocenigo]] from the [[Templars]] [[Carlo Grimaldi]]. Leonardo, however, afraid of the consequences if he would be wrong about his design, thought it was too dangerous to try it out, but Ezio insisted. After that one failed test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, but was then inspired by a piece of burnt paper - which he had thrown into his fireplace - that was floating from the heat of the fire. He concluded that in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light a dozen of fires across the city which would cause the heated air to rise, therefore lifting the machine and allowing it to fly over a longer distance, to the Palazzo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

====Carnevale====
[[File:EzioLeonardoCarnevale.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ezio and Leonardo during Carnevale.]]
{{Quote|I know what this is! It's a firearm, but a miniature scale - as small as a hummingbird, in fact.|Leonardo on the Hidden Gun design|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After being accused of the murder of the Doge, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a [[Carnevale]] mask so that he would not be noticed. He also bore another codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered it contained plans for a small [[Hidden Gun|firearm]] that could be concealed upon Ezio's wrist; an ''arma da fuoco'', but as small as a humming bird, as he stated. After Ezio tested the pistol, Leonardo gave him the mask he requested and pointed him in the direction of Sister [[Teodora Contanto]] and [[Antonio de Magianis]], so he could plot to assassinate the new Doge: the Templar [[Marco Barbarigo]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Just before the Doge's party started, Leonardo met up with Ezio and let him know that [[Cristina Vespucci]] was in Venice at that time, attending Carnevale with [[Manfredo Soderini|her husband]], but he also said that it might not be a good time to see her because of that. Ezio however, having his new mask to cloak him, thought that she wouldn't recognize him anyway, going [[Cristina Memories|against]] Leonardo's advice.<ref name="AC:R">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' </ref>

====Apple from Cyprus====
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Fascinating... Absolutely fascinating...|Ezio|What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?|I could no more explain this than explain to you why the Earth goes around the sun!|Leonardo, trying to figure out what the Apple is.|Assassin's Creed II}}
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, by piecing together the markings on the back of the codex pages, such as the arrival of a 'prophet' on the day the [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]] was brought to the floating city, [[Venice]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Zw-bof2.png|thumb|250px|Leonardo, studying the Apple of Eden.]]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]]. However, even the master inventor couldn't figure out what it was, stating that it was as unexplainable as the fact that the Earth goes around the sun, at which Mario then questioned this, but Leonardo ignored him. Leonardo put together both the names of "The Apple" and "A Piece of Eden", calling the artifact like "[[Adam and Eve|Eve]]'s Apple, of Forbidden Knowledge". When Ezio touched and activated it, Leonardo bore witness to the symbols and projections the Apple emitted, while Machiavelli, along with Mario fell to the floor in pain. Ezio, slightly less affected by the Apple than both Machiavelli and Mario, quickly deactivated the artifact, learning that it should never fall into the wrong hands, since it would drive weaker minds insane.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli">''[[Assassin's Creed II]] - [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)]]''</ref>

To their dismay, Leonardo couldn't learn any more about the Apple 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, since it had a better protection and was ruled by their ally, Caterina Sforza. Mario also asked Leonardo to come and visit him at the [[Villa Auditore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli" />

====Pythagoras====
Leonardo stayed at the villa until 1499,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> where he started to become interested in the findings of [[Pythagoras]] and the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]]. He had managed to create a map pointing out the temple's location, and he drew pieces of this map with invisible ink on his paintings that hung in the villa.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

===Rome===
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|There is graver news, I am afraid. They have the Apple.|Ezio|Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario.|I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where.|Leonardo and Ezio regarding the Apple's location when meeting in Rome.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In late 1499, Leonardo was forcibly pressed into designing several [[War Machines|war machines]] for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia, who was in turn [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]]. Additionally, he was also forced to fashion the ''pistola'' that were used to kill [[Mario Auditore]]. These firearms were also used by the [[Papal Guard|Papal Guards]], and by Cesare in the [[Siege of Viana]]. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, secretly meeting with Ezio to inform him of Cesare's plans, turning over the locations of the Templars overseeing the war machines, and fashioning items for Ezio.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

====War Machines====
[[File:LeonardoDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|252px|Leonardo upon seeing Ezio in Rome.]]
To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations chosen by Leonardo and denoted with a drawing of a hand on a bench as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. 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|Fall of Monteriggioni]], along with a [[Metal Cestus#Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|reinforced glove]] to allow Ezio to re-use the Climb Leap technique, and a forearm-mounted [[Poison darts|poison dart]] launcher.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, Ezio was required to hand him the money for the raw materials upfront. After the war machines were finally destroyed, Leonardo also designed a [[Parachutes|parachute]] that could 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.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

====Parting====
[[File:Ezioleoapple.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo and Ezio discussing the Apple of Eden.]]
When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia, Ezio and Leonardo met at the [[Assassins Guilds|Assassin's 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, although Leonardo would not accept the money if it was meant to be a 'goodbye'.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

====The Pythagorean Temple====
[[File:Rollofthedice1.png|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo before being kidnapped.]]
{{Quote|Ever since my exploration of that strange Apple, [those symbols] have been stamped on my mind. I found symbols like them in the writings of the Pythagorean disciples.|Leonardo on his obsession with the Apple's projections.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
When Leonardo returned to Rome, he made contact with the [[Hermeticists|Cult of Hermes]], and he frequently visited the Cult head's ([[Ercole Massimo]]'s) personal library, in order to do more research about [[Pythagoras]], a brilliant mathematician who once also had dealings with a Piece of Eden. Eventually, Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who wanted him to give them the location of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

After hunting across Rome, Ezio Auditore managed to gather the paintings that were seized by the Borgia during the [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attack on the Villa Auditore]] in January of 1500, and with the help of Leonardo's assistant [[Salaì]] and [[Eagle Vision]], Ezio pieced together the hidden map and the temple's location.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

Leonardo had been taken away to the catacombs that led to the Temple of Pythagoras, and it was to be where Ezio caught up with him. Ezio killed all the Hermeticists, including Massimo, and rescued Leonardo. After his ordeal, Leonardo and Ezio ventured deeper into the catacombs to explore the Temple of Pythagoras together, until they eventually stumbled upon the final chamber.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

[[File:Acbdlc4sp05pythagoriantemple.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Inside the Vault.]]Ezio recognized the room's architecture - a surviving [[Temples|Temple]] designed by [[Those Who Came Before]]. Though Ezio's DNA communed with a pedestal and revealed what would be coordinates, he decided it was best to leave it, despite Leonardo being eager to learn and explore more. Leonardo was distracted by Ezio, who asked him about his future plans, which Leonardo gladly revealed as they walked out of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

====Invitation into the Order====
After his rescue from the Hermeticists, Leonardo traveled with Machiavelli and Ezio to Spain to chase Micheletto and stop him from freeing Cesare after surviving wild seas, a skirmish in a bar, long horse rides and constructing bombs. After this, Leonardo decided he had enough of traveling and fighting, and returned to Rome, leaving Ezio and Machiavelli to destroy Borgia war ships with handheld bombs he had crafted for them and battle Cesare.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref>
After Ezio killed Cesare in Navarre during the [[Siege of Viana]], Leonardo met again with Ezio and Machiavelli at Ezio's forty-eighth birthday party. Ezio offered Leonardo a place in the Assassin Order, though Leonardo refused, saying that he respected the Assassins' goals, but that he wanted to tread a different path; "a solitary one." Leonardo left for Milan afterwards, from which he would leave for [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]] in [[France]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel"/>

===Later life===
Leonardo spent his last years in France, at the home awarded to him by Francis I. He took his most famous painting, the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', with him when he retired to France in 1513. He died on his bed on May 2, 1519.

==Characteristics and personality==
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Leo - does this machine of yours actually ''work''? [...]|Leonardo|Well, it's in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet - but I think, in all modesty, that - yes! Of course it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it! It's an idea that just won't let go of me!|Leonardo's attitude on his Flying Machine design.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:LeonardoJoke.png|thumb|260px|left|Leonardo, before 'removing' Ezio's finger.]]
Leonardo da Vinci was a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio was his best friend, and as such, he treated him like a brother and had taken great risks to protect him, even though he said later that courage was 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 met Ezio, he complained that it lacked purpose and he wishes to do something which had more impact on the world, such as architecture. Regardless, when Leonardo was intrigued by something, he became insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brought him [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]]'s Codex pages for decryption.

Leonardo was often forgetful and easily distracted. Ezio exploited this in the [[Pythagorean Vault]] by asking Leonardo about his projects, taking his mind off the mysterious images and numbers they were gazing at.

Leonardo also seemed to be homosexual, as this was hinted to multiple times, and he appeared to be in a relationship with his assistant, Salaì.

==Legacy==
[[File:ACB-TDVD-LeonardoWorkshop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One of Leonardo's workshops.]]
Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the ''Mona Lisa'' and ''[[wikipedia:The Last Supper|The Last Supper]]'', are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, their fame approached only by [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Creation of Adam|Creation of Adam]]''. Leonardo's drawing of the [[wikipedia:Vitruvian Man|Vitruvian Man]] is also regarded as a cultural icon.

Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survived; 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; indeed, Leonardo could arguably be considered the most iconic artist of the Italian Renaissance, with only a handful of his contemporaries (most notably Leonardo's chief artistic rival and fellow Florentine, Michelangelo Buonarroti) posing a realistic challenge.

[[File:ACBSP_2011-04-12_00-08-19-92.png|thumb|250px|left|The unfinished Mona Lisa.]]
Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualized 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.

==Trivia==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Focus On|thumb|250px|Leonardo da Vinci - Genius Inventor]]
===History===
*Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci," identifying the town of his birth, much in the same manner that "Ezio Auditore da Firenze" shows that Ezio was born in Florence. Historically, surnames as modern society know them were still fairly uncommon (though not unheard of) into the 15th century.
*Historically, Leonardo would later become a close friend and military engineer for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia.
*Interestingly, in author Dan Brown's novel ''[[wikipedia: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 ''[[wikipedia:The Priory of Sion|The Priory of Sion]]'', an organization that was allegedly connected with the Knights Templar.
*Ezio uses a [[Wikipedia:Wheellock|wheellock 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.
*In reality, Leonardo was based in [[Milan]] between 1482 and 1499. There, he worked in the service of Ludovico il Moro. He fled to [[Venice]] in 1499, where he worked as a military architect and engineer until his return to [[Florence]] in 1500.

===Inventions and art===
*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.
*When Ezio accidentally activates the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]] in Venice, 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, as well as showing him a vision of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].
*[[File:Mapofimola.jpg|thumb|Leonardo's map of Imola.]]Additionally, when the Apple is activated, both Ezio and Leonardo are largely unaffected, although they are still blinded by the light. Mario and Machiavelli, however, are crippled by the loud noise and are unable to stand.
*Eight of the thirty collectible [[paintings]] that are placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by Leonardo. They play a significant role in the ''Brotherhood'' DLC, ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in-game; on a wall in the [[Hideout]], in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a [[Lairs of Romulus|Lair of Romulus]], on the ground. It also appeared on a wall in his workshop in [[Florence]] in [[Assassin's Creed II]], even though he would not have completed it until 1502.

===Appearance and behavior===
*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. This was rectified in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', where Leonardo is depicted older with a longer beard and slightly greying hair.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', 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.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', Leonardo is shown as right-handed, but in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', he is left-handed, as he was known to be in real life.
*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 the designs he needs. 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 is a reference to the widely-held belief that the real-life Leonardo was homosexual.
*While exploring the [[Temple of Pythagoras|Pythagorean Temple]], Ezio and Leonardo have a brief conversation about Leonardo's assistant Salaì. Leonardo asks where he is, and quickly clarifies that he is only concerned about Salaì's careless spending. Ezio, however, merely comments that Salaì fits Leonardo, and that he approves. Leonardo is left nervously speechless. This is a reference to another belief that the real-life Leonardo had a homosexual relationship with Salaì.

===Others===
*Leonardo has the same voice actor as the [[Rafiq]] in Damascus from ''Assassins Creed'', [[Carlos Ferro]].
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the only time the player can explore Leonardo's Workshop is when they are disposing of the dead body in [[Ace Up My Sleeve]]. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,'' it can only be explored while assembling Leonardo's map during [[Decoding Da Vinci]] as part of ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*During the second Cristina mission in ''Assassins Creed: Brotherhood'', Ezio can explore the interior of Leonardo's Workshop in Florence.
*In one of Ezio Auditore's [[Cristina Memories]] in Venice, Leonardo tells Ezio that [[Cristina Vespucci|Cristina]] was attending Carnevale; even hinting that they might be close, despite Leonardo having nothing to do with Cristina in the majority of the two games. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' it is revealed that he knew because Cristina was a guest of his patron.
*In the [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|novel for ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'']], Leonardo is invited to join the Brotherhood. However, he declines, saying that though he will always support their goals, he is on a different path, one that is solitary.
*You can kill Leonardo right before the mission (while, and after, you walk with him) "All Things Come To He Who Waits", as well as the quest "[[Friend of the Family]] ".
*The Strategical map of Rome comes with the Codex edition of ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. On the map, there is some mirrored writing. Historically, Leonardo was very skilled in thee mirrored writing.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardoartwork1.jpg|Leonardo's concept art.
Leo.JPG|In-game ''Assassin's Creed II'' model.
Leonardo_workshop.jpg|Leonardo's workshop.
LeonardoVisions.png|Leonardo as seeing the projections of the Apple.
Da Vinci 2.jpg|Leonardo da Vinci's concept art
assassins-creed-2-leonardo-davinci.jpg|Database Entry Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci
assassins-creed-brotherhood-Leonardo-da-vinci-50p.jpg|Ezio and Leonardo in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Bench.jpg|A bench, marked by Leonardo.
</gallery>
===Da Vinci's Designs===
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardo's_Flying_machine_Design.jpg|Flying machine.
Armored_car.jpg|Tank.
Gun_l.jpg|12-barelled gun.
Leonardo Davinci.jpeg|Self-portrait
Crossbow design LDV.jpg|Leonardo's crossbow design
Leonardo's Parachute.jpg|Leonardo's parachute design
2 The-Last-Supper.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper
mona-lisa-painting.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinci, Leonardo da}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Novel) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Ascendance Characters]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

Leonardo da Vinci

2011-09-26T18:10:20Z

86.135.150.17: /* Parting */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|Project Legacy|Ascendance|Featured}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
|image = Leonardo.png
|imgdesc =
|birth = 15 April, 1452 [[wikipedia:Vinci|Vinci]], [[Italy]]
|death = 2 May, 1519 (aged 67) [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]], [[France]]
|faction = [[Assassins]] (Allies)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''
|period = [[Renaissance]]
|voice = [[Carlos Ferro]]}}
{{quote|One thing I am not, is a man of violence.|Leonardo to [[Ezio Auditore de Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] in [[Valencia]], 1505.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)}}
'''Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci''' (1452 – 1519) was an [[Italy|Italian]] polymath: an artist and engineering genius during the [[Renaissance|Renaissance era]], famous for the painting of several masterpieces, including the [[Mona Lisa]].

Born in the town of Vinci, just outside of [[Florence]], Leonardo became an apprentice to [[Andrea del Verrocchio]] and quickly completed his training. By 1476, Leonardo had earned the patronage of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], and sold many paintings to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]]. In that year, Leonardo met Giovanni's second child, a young [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]; the two soon struck up a friendship, both professional and personal, that would last their entire lives.

Throughout his life, Leonardo aided in his close friend's quest for vengeance against [[Rodrigo Borgia]] and his [[Templars]] followers; decoding [[Codex]] pages and providing unique weapons and technologies to the fledgling [[Assassin]], all the meanwhile maintaining his own, personal life.

In 1500, Leonardo was abducted by [[Cesare Borgia]], the son of Rodrigo Borgia, and forced to construct [[war machines]] for the [[Papacy|Papal armies]]. Throughout this time however, Leonardo continued to feed intelligence and technologies back to his Assassin allies. Following the Borgias' expulsion from [[Rome]], Leonardo was kidnapped by the [[Cult of Hermes]] and forced to reveal the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]] and, following his rescue, joined his oldest friend, Ezio Auditore, during his exploration of the [[Pythagorean Vault]].

Following these events, Leonardo moved to France, eventually retiring in 1513.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in Vinci, a town outside of [[Florence]], Italy, to a Florentine notary named [[wikipedia:Piero da Vinci|Piero da Vinci]] and a local woman named Caterina. He spent most of his early childhood in nearby rural [[Tuscany]] so as to spare his father the embarrassment of a scandal. However, young Leonardo's innate artistic prowess was obvious to his elders even then, and when he turned fourteen he was returned to Florence, apprenticed to the workshop of renowned painter [[Andrea del Verrocchio]]; while there, he is said to have collaborated with the Verrocchio on his masterpiece, ''[[wikipedia:Baptism of Christ|Baptism of Christ]]''.

===Florence===
At age 20, Leonardo was titled a master by the [[wikipedia:Guild of Saint 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]], of which he sold most of his paintings to.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

====Meeting Ezio====
{{Dialogue|Leonardo|I often feel that my work lacks... I don't know... purpose.|Maria|You should have more faith in yourself, Leonardo.|Leonardo, Maria and Ezio on their way to the Palazzo.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:Friend 3 v.png|thumb|right|250px|Leonardo upon his meeting with Ezio.]]
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. The two conversed inside the workshop of the artist, talking about Leonardo's paintings, and what else he could do aside from painting, at which Ezio remarked to his mother that Leonardo wouldn't come that far, seeing that he wasn't even capable of keeping his workplace tidy. Ezio's mother however, was very confident of Leonardo's future, complimenting him multiple times on his talent and telling him he should have more faith in himself.<ref name="AC:R"/>

Soon after their conversation, the three headed back to the [[Palazzo Auditore]], Ezio and Leonardo carrying one box each, filled with paintings to hang on the walls. Again Ezio commented on Leonardo's seeming incapability, but he soon felt he was wrong about the so-called "fledgling artist" as they arrived at the Palazzo, noting that Leonardo was one to respect. This encounter sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.<ref name="AC:R"/>

{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Anything which shines glints in the sun, and that's a dead giveaway.|Ezio|I thought you were a man of peace.|Ideas take precedence.|Ezio commenting on Leonardo after he finished his Hidden Blade.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After the [[Auditore Execution|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]] he had inherited from his father. Leonardo was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, as it, despite its old age, was way ahead of even their time.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:LeonardoCodex.png|left|250px|thumb|Leonardo studying the first Codex page.]]At first he had no idea how to repair it, but soon he discovered that [[Codex|the scroll]] Ezio had included with the weapon could be decrypted and used as a manual, at which he started to decode it. It took Leonardo some hours before he had finally finished the repairs to the Hidden Blade. Leonardo woke up Ezio, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, and handed the weapon over to him. Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed, because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." This was to his own amusement however, as it is shown that he simply embedded the cleaver into the table next to Ezio's hand. He explained that the blade had been modified so that the removal of the finger was no longer necessary.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="AC:R"/>

Immediately after this, a Florentine [[guards|guard]] showed up at Leonardo's workshop. Leonardo responded and told Ezio to stay in his workshop, while he opened the door for the guard, keeping him outside. The guard knew that he had been in contact with Ezio, and as Leonardo tried to act ignorant of the [[Assassins|Assassin]], the guard threw him to the ground and started kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts. Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and tested out his newly acquired weapon on him. Afterwards, Ezio hid the body inside the workshop with others upon Leonardo's request – as the bodies were used for his anatomical research.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Codexleo.png|thumb|right|250px|Ezio handing Leonardo a Codex page.]]
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 as explained on the codex page in Leonardo's yard with straw dummies - set up by one of his students, Vincenzo - Leonardo constructed a second Hidden Blade to be put at his friend's disposal. Shortly after practicing with his Hidden Blade, Ezio inquired about [[Francesco de' Pazzi]], which prompted Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out [[La Volpe]] ("The Fox"). Leonardo suspiciously told Ezio that La Volpe had [[thieves|eyes]] everywhere, that he sees everything, but no one sees him. He said that Ezio could find him at the [[Mercato Vecchio]], and he reminded him to be careful. After this, Leonardo appeared at several instances in which Ezio simply visited him to decipher codex pages.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

{{Quote|In high enough doses, that which can cure, can kill.|Leonardo on the Poison Blade.|Assassin's Creed II}}
After Ezio put an end to the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]], he visited Leonardo once more, who had been deeply worried about his friend, knowing about the recent "madness" going on in Florence. He was soon cheered up by yet another Codex page, that Ezio had received 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 had been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison through it and into their enemies for a more subtle kill, without weakening its structure. Leonardo was done manufacturing the design rather quickly, telling Ezio that if he ran out of poison, to visit a [[doctors|doctor]], which initially confused him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

====Moving to Venice====
[[File:EzioLeo2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo with Ezio traveling to Venice.]]
{{Quote|Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly.|Leonardo answering Ezio on his flying machine.|Assassin's Creed II}}
Leonardo once again met Ezio in the [[Appennine Mountains]] after the fall of the Pazzi Conspirators. The artist was faced with the problem of a broken [[wagon]] wheel and, lacking the means fix it himself, asked Ezio to lift the carriage. Ezio noticed the contraption inside the wagon and asked about it, which triggered the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his [[Flying Machine]] and told anyone about it, saying he couldn't keep it just for himself anymore. Ezio, amused by Leonardo’s idea, offered him to drive, at which Leonardo curiously reacted that he hadn't even told him where they were going, and they set off for [[Romagna]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], threatening their lives all the way through the Mountains. Ezio held them off by steering the wagon into the horses of the soldiers and dodging the burning arrows the soldiers had started shooting at them. In the meantime, Leonardo was safely hidden inside the wagon. At the end of the trail, Ezio stayed behind to deal with the soldiers, so Leonardo could get to Romagna safely. The two 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]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Venice===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor who built...this...this pezzo di merda.|Leonardo|Hey! It's not the machine's fault!...It's mine. I've checked and rechecked my blueprints. It's just impossible! [...] Ah, che idea del cazzo!|Leonardo and Ezio, visited by Antonio after the failed test flight.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AC2LeonardoFire.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo noticing the floating paper.]]
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. During the tour, the three stopped at the market of Venice, where suddenly a few guards started harassing a stall owner under the command of [[Emilio Barbarigo]]. Alvise advised them to follow him elsewhere. Leonardo, walking past a store, found a wooden puppet that resembled the human body and its proportions, but had no money on him to buy it. He asked Ezio if he could lend some money, however, at that moment, a [[Rosa|female thief]] bumped into him and stole his wallet.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Alvise again guided them elsewhere, near the [[Palazzo della Seta]], at which he initially wanted to take them for a closer look, but wasn't able to thanks to the recent activities around Venice. Ezio saw the harassed stall owner walk up to the guards at the entrance of the Palazzo, who demanded compensation, but the guards arrested him for "disrupting commerce" after he told them he'd report it to the Council. As they arrived at his workshop, Ezio informed Leonardo he needed to visit the Palazzo, at which Leonardo invited him to come over whenever he had more time, or if he needed another Codex page decrypted. He and Ezio parted ways there with a brotherly embrace.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Over a while, Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than a decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s Flying Machine that he learned of on the way to Romagna, hoping to use it in order to invade the Palazzo Ducale so that he could rescue [[Giovanni Mocenigo|Doge Mocenigo]] from the [[Templars]] [[Carlo Grimaldi]]. Leonardo, however, afraid of the consequences if he would be wrong about his design, thought it was too dangerous to try it out, but Ezio insisted. After that one failed test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, but was then inspired by a piece of burnt paper - which he had thrown into his fireplace - that was floating from the heat of the fire. He concluded that in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light a dozen of fires across the city which would cause the heated air to rise, therefore lifting the machine and allowing it to fly over a longer distance, to the Palazzo.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

====Carnevale====
[[File:EzioLeonardoCarnevale.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ezio and Leonardo during Carnevale.]]
{{Quote|I know what this is! It's a firearm, but a miniature scale - as small as a hummingbird, in fact.|Leonardo on the Hidden Gun design|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
After being accused of the murder of the Doge, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a [[Carnevale]] mask so that he would not be noticed. He also bore another codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered it contained plans for a small [[Hidden Gun|firearm]] that could be concealed upon Ezio's wrist; an ''arma da fuoco'', but as small as a humming bird, as he stated. After Ezio tested the pistol, Leonardo gave him the mask he requested and pointed him in the direction of Sister [[Teodora Contanto]] and [[Antonio de Magianis]], so he could plot to assassinate the new Doge: the Templar [[Marco Barbarigo]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Just before the Doge's party started, Leonardo met up with Ezio and let him know that [[Cristina Vespucci]] was in Venice at that time, attending Carnevale with [[Manfredo Soderini|her husband]], but he also said that it might not be a good time to see her because of that. Ezio however, having his new mask to cloak him, thought that she wouldn't recognize him anyway, going [[Cristina Memories|against]] Leonardo's advice.<ref name="AC:R">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' </ref>

====Apple from Cyprus====
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|Fascinating... Absolutely fascinating...|Ezio|What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?|I could no more explain this than explain to you why the Earth goes around the sun!|Leonardo, trying to figure out what the Apple is.|Assassin's Creed II}}
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, by piecing together the markings on the back of the codex pages, such as the arrival of a 'prophet' on the day the [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]] was brought to the floating city, [[Venice]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

[[File:Zw-bof2.png|thumb|250px|Leonardo, studying the Apple of Eden.]]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]]. However, even the master inventor couldn't figure out what it was, stating that it was as unexplainable as the fact that the Earth goes around the sun, at which Mario then questioned this, but Leonardo ignored him. Leonardo put together both the names of "The Apple" and "A Piece of Eden", calling the artifact like "[[Adam and Eve|Eve]]'s Apple, of Forbidden Knowledge". When Ezio touched and activated it, Leonardo bore witness to the symbols and projections the Apple emitted, while Machiavelli, along with Mario fell to the floor in pain. Ezio, slightly less affected by the Apple than both Machiavelli and Mario, quickly deactivated the artifact, learning that it should never fall into the wrong hands, since it would drive weaker minds insane.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli">''[[Assassin's Creed II]] - [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)]]''</ref>

To their dismay, Leonardo couldn't learn any more about the Apple 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, since it had a better protection and was ruled by their ally, Caterina Sforza. Mario also asked Leonardo to come and visit him at the [[Villa Auditore]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II-Battle of Forli" />

====Pythagoras====
Leonardo stayed at the villa until 1499,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> where he started to become interested in the findings of [[Pythagoras]] and the location of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]]. He had managed to create a map pointing out the temple's location, and he drew pieces of this map with invisible ink on his paintings that hung in the villa.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

===Rome===
{{Dialogue2|Leonardo|There is graver news, I am afraid. They have the Apple.|Ezio|Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario.|I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where.|Leonardo and Ezio regarding the Apple's location when meeting in Rome.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In late 1499, Leonardo was forcibly pressed into designing several [[War Machines|war machines]] for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia, who was in turn [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]]. Additionally, he was also forced to fashion the ''pistola'' that were used to kill [[Mario Auditore]]. These firearms were also used by the [[Papal Guard|Papal Guards]], and by Cesare in the [[Siege of Viana]]. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, secretly meeting with Ezio to inform him of Cesare's plans, turning over the locations of the Templars overseeing the war machines, and fashioning items for Ezio.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

====War Machines====
[[File:LeonardoDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|252px|Leonardo upon seeing Ezio in Rome.]]
To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations chosen by Leonardo and denoted with a drawing of a hand on a bench as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. 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|Fall of Monteriggioni]], along with a [[Metal Cestus#Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|reinforced glove]] to allow Ezio to re-use the Climb Leap technique, and a forearm-mounted [[Poison darts|poison dart]] launcher.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, Ezio was required to hand him the money for the raw materials upfront. After the war machines were finally destroyed, Leonardo also designed a [[Parachutes|parachute]] that could 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.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

====Parting====
[[File:Ezioleoapple.jpg|thumb|250px|Leonardo and Ezio discussing the Apple of Eden.]]
When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia, Ezio and Leonardo met at the [[Assassins Guilds|Assassin's 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, although Leonardo would not accept the money if it was meant to be a 'goodbye'.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

====The Pythagorean Temple====
[[File:Rollofthedice1.png|thumb|left|250px|Leonardo before being kidnapped.]]
{{Quote|Ever since my exploration of that strange Apple, [those symbols] have been stamped on my mind. I found symbols like them in the writings of the Pythagorean disciples.|Leonardo on his obsession with the Apple's projections.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
When Leonardo returned to Rome, he made contact with the [[Hermeticists|Cult of Hermes]], and he frequently visited the Cult head's ([[Ercole Massimo]]'s) personal library, in order to do more research about [[Pythagoras]], a brilliant mathematician who once also had dealings with a Piece of Eden. Eventually, Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who wanted him to give them the location of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

After hunting across Rome, Ezio Auditore managed to gather the paintings that were seized by the Borgia during the [[Fall of Monteriggioni|attack on the Villa Auditore]] in January of 1500, and with the help of Leonardo's assistant [[Salaì]] and [[Eagle Vision]], Ezio pieced together the hidden map and the temple's location.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

Leonardo had been taken away to the catacombs that led to the Temple of Pythagoras, and it was to be where Ezio caught up with him. Ezio killed all the Hermeticists, including Massimo, and rescued Leonardo. After his ordeal, Leonardo and Ezio ventured deeper into the catacombs to explore the Temple of Pythagoras together, until they eventually stumbled upon the final chamber.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

[[File:Acbdlc4sp05pythagoriantemple.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Inside the Vault.]]Ezio recognized the room's architecture - a surviving [[Temples|Temple]] designed by [[Those Who Came Before]]. Though Ezio's DNA communed with a pedestal and revealed what would be coordinates, he decided it was best to leave it, despite Leonardo being eager to learn and explore more. Leonardo was distracted by Ezio, who asked him about his future plans, which Leonardo gladly revealed as they walked out of the temple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

====Invitation into the Order====
After Ezio killed Cesare in Navarre during the [[Siege of Viana]], Leonardo met again with Ezio and Machiavelli at Ezio's forty-eighth birthday party. Ezio offered Leonardo a place in the Assassin Order, though Leonardo refused, saying that he respected the Assassins' goals, but that he wanted to tread a different path; "a solitary one." Leonardo left for Milan afterwards, from which he would leave for [[wikipedia:Amboise|Amboise]] in [[France]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel"/>

===Later life===
Leonardo spent his last years in France, at the home awarded to him by Francis I. He took his most famous painting, the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', with him when he retired to France in 1513. He died on his bed on May 2, 1519.

==Characteristics and personality==
{{Dialogue|Ezio|Leo - does this machine of yours actually ''work''? [...]|Leonardo|Well, it's in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet - but I think, in all modesty, that - yes! Of course it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it! It's an idea that just won't let go of me!|Leonardo's attitude on his Flying Machine design.|Assassin's Creed: Renaissance}}
[[File:LeonardoJoke.png|thumb|260px|left|Leonardo, before 'removing' Ezio's finger.]]
Leonardo da Vinci was a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio was his best friend, and as such, he treated him like a brother and had taken great risks to protect him, even though he said later that courage was 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 met Ezio, he complained that it lacked purpose and he wishes to do something which had more impact on the world, such as architecture. Regardless, when Leonardo was intrigued by something, he became insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brought him [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]]'s Codex pages for decryption.

Leonardo was often forgetful and easily distracted. Ezio exploited this in the [[Pythagorean Vault]] by asking Leonardo about his projects, taking his mind off the mysterious images and numbers they were gazing at.

Leonardo also seemed to be homosexual, as this was hinted to multiple times, and he appeared to be in a relationship with his assistant, Salaì.

==Legacy==
[[File:ACB-TDVD-LeonardoWorkshop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|One of Leonardo's workshops.]]
Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the ''Mona Lisa'' and ''[[wikipedia:The Last Supper|The Last Supper]]'', are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, their fame approached only by [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Creation of Adam|Creation of Adam]]''. Leonardo's drawing of the [[wikipedia:Vitruvian Man|Vitruvian Man]] is also regarded as a cultural icon.

Perhaps fifteen of his paintings survived; 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; indeed, Leonardo could arguably be considered the most iconic artist of the Italian Renaissance, with only a handful of his contemporaries (most notably Leonardo's chief artistic rival and fellow Florentine, Michelangelo Buonarroti) posing a realistic challenge.

[[File:ACBSP_2011-04-12_00-08-19-92.png|thumb|250px|left|The unfinished Mona Lisa.]]
Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualized 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.

==Trivia==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Focus On|thumb|250px|Leonardo da Vinci - Genius Inventor]]
===History===
*Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci," identifying the town of his birth, much in the same manner that "Ezio Auditore da Firenze" shows that Ezio was born in Florence. Historically, surnames as modern society know them were still fairly uncommon (though not unheard of) into the 15th century.
*Historically, Leonardo would later become a close friend and military engineer for [[Cesare Borgia]], son of Rodrigo Borgia.
*Interestingly, in author Dan Brown's novel ''[[wikipedia: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 ''[[wikipedia:The Priory of Sion|The Priory of Sion]]'', an organization that was allegedly connected with the Knights Templar.
*Ezio uses a [[Wikipedia:Wheellock|wheellock 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.
*In reality, Leonardo was based in [[Milan]] between 1482 and 1499. There, he worked in the service of Ludovico il Moro. He fled to [[Venice]] in 1499, where he worked as a military architect and engineer until his return to [[Florence]] in 1500.

===Inventions and art===
*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.
*When Ezio accidentally activates the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]] in Venice, 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, as well as showing him a vision of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].
*[[File:Mapofimola.jpg|thumb|Leonardo's map of Imola.]]Additionally, when the Apple is activated, both Ezio and Leonardo are largely unaffected, although they are still blinded by the light. Mario and Machiavelli, however, are crippled by the loud noise and are unable to stand.
*Eight of the thirty collectible [[paintings]] that are placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by Leonardo. They play a significant role in the ''Brotherhood'' DLC, ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in-game; on a wall in the [[Hideout]], in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a [[Lairs of Romulus|Lair of Romulus]], on the ground. It also appeared on a wall in his workshop in [[Florence]] in [[Assassin's Creed II]], even though he would not have completed it until 1502.

===Appearance and behavior===
*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. This was rectified in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', where Leonardo is depicted older with a longer beard and slightly greying hair.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', 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.
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', Leonardo is shown as right-handed, but in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', he is left-handed, as he was known to be in real life.
*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 the designs he needs. 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 is a reference to the widely-held belief that the real-life Leonardo was homosexual.
*While exploring the [[Temple of Pythagoras|Pythagorean Temple]], Ezio and Leonardo have a brief conversation about Leonardo's assistant Salaì. Leonardo asks where he is, and quickly clarifies that he is only concerned about Salaì's careless spending. Ezio, however, merely comments that Salaì fits Leonardo, and that he approves. Leonardo is left nervously speechless. This is a reference to another belief that the real-life Leonardo had a homosexual relationship with Salaì.

===Others===
*Leonardo has the same voice actor as the [[Rafiq]] in Damascus from ''Assassins Creed'', [[Carlos Ferro]].
*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', the only time the player can explore Leonardo's Workshop is when they are disposing of the dead body in [[Ace Up My Sleeve]]. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,'' it can only be explored while assembling Leonardo's map during [[Decoding Da Vinci]] as part of ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''.
*During the second Cristina mission in ''Assassins Creed: Brotherhood'', Ezio can explore the interior of Leonardo's Workshop in Florence.
*In one of Ezio Auditore's [[Cristina Memories]] in Venice, Leonardo tells Ezio that [[Cristina Vespucci|Cristina]] was attending Carnevale; even hinting that they might be close, despite Leonardo having nothing to do with Cristina in the majority of the two games. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]'' it is revealed that he knew because Cristina was a guest of his patron.
*In the [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|novel for ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'']], Leonardo is invited to join the Brotherhood. However, he declines, saying that though he will always support their goals, he is on a different path, one that is solitary.
*You can kill Leonardo right before the mission (while, and after, you walk with him) "All Things Come To He Who Waits", as well as the quest "[[Friend of the Family]] ".
*The Strategical map of Rome comes with the Codex edition of ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. On the map, there is some mirrored writing. Historically, Leonardo was very skilled in thee mirrored writing.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardoartwork1.jpg|Leonardo's concept art.
Leo.JPG|In-game ''Assassin's Creed II'' model.
Leonardo_workshop.jpg|Leonardo's workshop.
LeonardoVisions.png|Leonardo as seeing the projections of the Apple.
Da Vinci 2.jpg|Leonardo da Vinci's concept art
assassins-creed-2-leonardo-davinci.jpg|Database Entry Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci
assassins-creed-brotherhood-Leonardo-da-vinci-50p.jpg|Ezio and Leonardo in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Bench.jpg|A bench, marked by Leonardo.
</gallery>
===Da Vinci's Designs===
<gallery widths="168" captionalign="left">
Leonardo's_Flying_machine_Design.jpg|Flying machine.
Armored_car.jpg|Tank.
Gun_l.jpg|12-barelled gun.
Leonardo Davinci.jpeg|Self-portrait
Crossbow design LDV.jpg|Leonardo's crossbow design
Leonardo's Parachute.jpg|Leonardo's parachute design
2 The-Last-Supper.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper
mona-lisa-painting.jpg|Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinci, Leonardo da}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Novel) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Ascendance Characters]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]