Bartolomeo d'Alviano

"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, 1503.

Bartolomeo d'Alviano (1455 – 1515) was a member of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins, and the leader of Venetian and Roman mercenaries. Being a skilled and loyal fighter, as well as commanding a fair amount of mercenaries, Bartolomeo was an important asset to his Brotherhood.

During his time in Venice, he befriended Ezio Auditore da Firenze, later Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood, and together they managed to reconquer the Castello District and Bartolomeo's home from Silvio Barbarigo, a Templar noble who had claimed it for himself. Bartolomeo was also present when Ezio was officially initiated into the Order. When Ezio infiltrated the Vatican, Bartolomeo assisted, causing trouble in Rome to keep the guards from stopping Ezio.

Bartolomeo and Ezio met again in Rome, where Bartolomeo and his wife, Pantasilea Baglioni, had settled in the Caserma di Alviano. There, Bartolomeo fought with both the Borgia forces and the French soldiers led by Octavian de Valois. Along with Ezio, he managed to weaken the Borgia enough for the Assassins to liberate the city.

Bartolomeo also served as the General of several Italian armies, being renowned for his determination and swordsmanship. He fought in the Battle of Agnadello, which he lost. Upon being released, he continued his military career, until he finally fell while besieging Ghedi.

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, and Niccolò di Pitigliano. Bartolomeo somehow found his way into the Assassin Order and based himself in the Castello District of Venice. He resided in the district, and led the mercenaries in the city.

Retaking the Castello District

"Luridi codardi! I'll take you all on! At the same time! With one arm – no – BOTH arms tied behind my back!"

―Bartolomeo to the guards during his imprisonment, 1486.

By 1486, the Templar Silvio Barbarigo had taken control of the Castello District, capturing Bartolomeo and most of his men in the process. However, Ezio Auditore, the son of the late Assassin Giovanni Auditore, came to Bartolomeo's rescue and the two fought their way back to Bartolomeo's headquarters.

Once there, Bartolomeo and Ezio killed Silvio's remaining men and retook his quarters. Locating his longtime weapon "Bianca", Bartolomeo asked Ezio to rescue some of his men who had been captured by Silvio's thugs. After rescuing each of the captured mercenaries, Ezio returned to Bartolomeo, who then instructed him to position several of the mercenaries throughout the district to stir up enough trouble to regain it.

Aiding the mercenaries, Ezio helped by eliminating the district guards to substitute the mercenaries in their place. Upon posting the last of the men, Ezio scaled the largest tower in the district and launched a flare to signal the mercenaries to begin their attack.

Bartolomeo battling Dante

From the tower, Ezio caught sight of Bartolomeo engaged in a losing battle against Dante Moro and Silvio's men. Rushing to aid him, Ezio helped Bartolomeo kill most of Silvio's men, and as Ezio was about to defeat Dante, the latter abandoned the fight and fled to L'Arsenale.

In response, 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 destined for Cyprus, they were both caught and assassinated by Ezio. Afterwards, Bartolomeo thanked and congratulated Ezio on liberating the Castello District from Silvio's oppression, and the two parted ways.

Acquiring the Apple of Eden

"Come at me, codardi! All of you! My Bianca hungers for more skulls to crush!"

―Bartolomeo during the fight with the Borgia guards.

Ezio's induction into the Order

Two years later, Bartolomeo joined with several other Assassins to acquire the Apple of Eden from Rodrigo Borgia, the Grand Master of the Italian Templars. However, when they reached Rodrigo, they found Ezio already fighting Rodrigo and his guards.

Bartolomeo and the other Assassins hurried to Ezio's side, and upon killing all the guards and causing Rodrigo to flee without the Apple, the group revealed themselves to be Assassins, a fact previously unknown by Ezio. They then inducted Ezio into the Order atop a tall tower, before the group each performed a Leap of Faith from its side.

Battle against Pope Alexander VI

Around 1493, Bartolomeo travelled to Rome and established a mercenary guild in the city which managed the fight clubs and arenas of the city. There, he recruited the gladiator Corvo Antonelli in his mercenary company before joining the Brotherhood.

In 1496, Bartolomeo joined the Orsini in a battle against the Borgia, who were attempting to seize Orsini territory. Bartolomeo's resources were cut down to three fortresses by the Borgia, but his 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. A year later in 1497, Bartolomeo lost his first wife Bartolomea Orsini during a Borgia assault. That same year, he would then go on to marry his second wife, Pantasilea Baglioni.

Later, in 1499, Bartolomeo and his forces created diversions throughout Rome, distracting a large portion of the Papal Guard and allowing Ezio a chance to infiltrate the Vatican and confront Rodrigo.

Fighting the French

"Cesare persuaded King Louis to lend him an entire army to defeat me. I'm flattered."

―Bartolomeo, regarding his fight with the French, 1500.

Bartolomeo and Ezio conversing

In 1500, Bartolomeo and Pantasilea moved to Rome, using the Caserma di Alviano as their new barracks. Alongside the other Assassins, Bartolomeo sought to liberate the city from the Borgia oppression, and thus focused his mercenaries on the French army led by the Baron Octavian de Valois.

However, Bartolomeo soon found himself attacked on two fronts: Borgia on one side, and French on the other. That same year, Bartolomeo met again with Ezio Auditore, who helped Bartolomeo liberate the surrounding region from Borgia control. In exchange, Ezio requested that Bartolomeo find the whereabouts of Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia; after locating Rodrigo and Cesare, Bartolomeo met with the others at Tiber Island to discuss the Assassins' plans.

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 French troops.

Ezio and Bartolomeo alongside some mercenaries

Fighting alongside Ezio and his mercenaries, Bartolomeo successfully defended the barracks from the attack, after which they gathered at the main gate. There, the pair spotted the Baron signaling for their attention from the field.

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.

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.

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.

After Bartolomeo offered his enthusiastic approval, Ezio retrieved some suits of armor by stealthily killing several French guards. Upon regrouping with Bartolomeo, Ezio, posing as a French captain, cleared the way for the disguised battalion all the way to the French camp, which they entered with ease.

Pantasilea and Bartolomeo hugging each other intimately

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.

Acting swiftly, Ezio fired his 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. As Bartolomeo hugged his wife, she thanked him, calling him her prince. Afterwards, the three and the mercenaries returned to the barracks.

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 final supporters were killed, they witnessed Cesare being arrested by Bartolomeo's cousin, Fabio Orsini, and later returned to their respective bases.

Under Ferdinand II and Nicolò Orsini

In late 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 the Kingdom of Naples. He was aided by Prospero Colonna and his cousin, Fabio Orsini, who later died from a head wound he received in the battle.

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

"An endless wall of enemy blocks me from escape. Their leader gloats. I stare into his face, one I know all too well, as he shackles me."

―Bartolomeo at the end of the Battle of Agnadello, 1509.

Bartolomeo at Agnadello

In 1509, Bartolomeo and his cousin Niccolò di Pitigliano led the Venetian forces against the French Army at Agnadello, a village where the Italian Assassins had housed a Shroud of Eden. Bartolomeo allegedly attacked the enemy without the authorization of Orsini, who was the captain-general of the Venetian army; he was greatly wounded as a result, but managed to recover and rally his troops. He won the hearts of the citizens of the village, and they in turn helped Bartolomeo and his men in gathering resources. He also recruited several of the villagers, and his men received weapons from the local blacksmiths. Despite his efforts, the French soon overran his troops, Bartolomeo was captured, and the Battle of Agnadello marked a serious defeat for Venice.

Later life

In 1510, Bartolomeo was visited by Ezio in Ostia, who requested his assistance in traveling to Bari to begin his journey to Masyaf in Syria, in hopes of finding the library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. Bartolomeo, happy to see Ezio get back into action, accompanied his friend to Bari, from where they parted ways.

In 1513, after the alliance between France and Venice against the Duke of Milan, he fought under the French commander Louis de la Trémoille. Bartolomeo was defeated at Vicenza by the Spanish viceroy of Naples, Ramón de Cardona.

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 in September 1515, in which he attacked the hired Swiss mercenaries with a corps of only 300 knights.

Following this, Bartolomeo 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, near his old headquarters.

Bartolomeo and Pantasilea had four children; three daughters and one son.

Personality and traits

"[Bartolomeo] has such an aggressive view of the world."

―Pantasilea.

Bartolomeo in his barracks

Bartolomeo is noted to have 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 tactic of "sneaking and stabbing."

He was a proud man, as was made evident when Bartolomeo told Ezio that he was coping well against the French assault, when in truth, he was fighting a losing war. Accompanying this, Bartolomeo also believed in a fair fight, as when Ezio was escorting him and his mercenaries to the French camp, he admitted that he did not like the idea of tricking the Baron da Valois into defeat with the costumes. To this end, he repeated the words of Ezio's father, Giovanni, as a further proof that he truly thought that men would no longer be traitorous to one another.

Though a skilled warrior and general, 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, viewing this as a dishonorable and cowardly attempt to secure victory.

Skills and equipment

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.

Bartolomeo "introducing" Ezio to his sword, Bianca

Bartolomeo was a versatile fighter, able to fight with either a sword or a heavy weapon, although he preferred to use the latter in combat. 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; Bartolomeo was very attached to the weapon, going so far as to frantically call and search for it after returning to his ransacked headquarters in Venice.

Behind the scenes

• Bartolomeo's memories were extracted from the genetic memory of one of his descendants by Abstergo Industries, and relived by another person in 2012 via their DDS prototype, composing the first chapter of their "Italian Wars" set.
  • Bianca was also an exclusive item in this initiative, which could be unlocked for 15 Uplay points. It gave a higher chance of winning a skirmish.
• During his time in Rome, Bartolomeo's sword Bianca had a slightly different appearance, having a golden guard but also missing an emblem.
• It was hinted that Bartolomeo could also use an axe in combat, as when Ezio completed all of the mercenary guild quests in Rome, he received a weapon named Bartolomeo's Axe, which was almost identical to the Labrys.
• In the battle where Ezio fought alongside Bartolomeo, his sister Claudia Auditore, Niccolò Machiavelli and La Volpe against Cesare and his men, Bartolomeo could be "killed", though he would only appear to be knocked out on the ground.
• In the Revelations novel, Bartolomeo accompanied Ezio to Bari in May 1510. Historically, Bartolomeo was prisoner of the French between 1509 and 1513.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Bartolomeo
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  3D model of Bartolomeo
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  Concept model of Bartolomeo in Rebellion
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  Database potrait in Assassin's Creed II
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  Assassin's Creed: Memories art of Bartolomeo
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  Memories art of Bartolomeo meeting Ezio
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  Bartolomeo preparing to fight Silvio Barbarigo's men
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  The meeting at the Assassin hideout
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  Bartolomeo talking with Ezio
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  Bartolomeo waiting inside the Caserma di Alviano
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  Bartolomeo goading the French Army to "fight like real men"
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  Bartolomeo "captured" by his own men and Ezio in disguises
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  Bartolomeo and La Volpe with the Brotherhood
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  Bartolomeo and the other Assassins standing against Cesare
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  Bartolomeo in Rebellion
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  Bartolomeo's avatar in Rebellion's character menu

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
• Assassin's Creed: Recollection
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game