Bernardo Baroncelli

Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli (1453 – 1479) was a banker for the Pazzi and a member of the Roman Rite of the Templar Order. He was infamous as one of the Pazzi conspirators who attempted to murder Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother Giuliano.

Biography

Early life

Bernardo was born in 1453 and was brought up to hate the Medici, as they had exiled his cousins. He eventually became a banker for the Pazzi, and also a member of the Templars through his employer, Jacopo de' Pazzi.

Pazzi conspiracy

"It's all here. Swords. Staves. Axes. Armor. Bows. Our men will want for nothing."

―Bernardo Baroncelli, on equipping the Pazzi conspirators.

In 1478, Bernardo supplied weapons and a willing blade for the planned murder of Lorenzo de' Medici's family, meeting with the rest of the conspirators in the catacombs beneath the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. Bernardo joked easily about the unwillingness of Lorenzo's brother to make final plans for his daily activities. After this, the group of Templars pledged allegiance to their cause and uttered the phrase "May the Father of Understanding guide us", the Templar motto.

The following morning, the conspirators attacked Lorenzo and his brother before the Duomo during High Mass. Bernardo was one of the first assailants, and delivered a swift stab to Giuliano de' Medici as he charged forwards, his attack fueled with his ingrained hatred for the Medici family. While Giuliano was brutally killed by Francesco de' Pazzi, Bernardo immediately ran from the attack, but was recaptured after having fled to Constantinople.

Escape and death

"Yes, yes, safer for me... and then, then we'll be protected, meet when it's time and then... I'll leave this place, free... in time... in time."

―A paranoid Bernardo, 1479.

Ezio assassinating Bernardo

Bernardo soon escaped his captors and took refuge in the Tuscan city of San Gimignano, avoiding the local mercenaries and allies of the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore. The man's paranoia increased and flourished as he hid from the Assassin. He frequently chattered to himself, reiterating his own safety, and his guards remained by his side at all times under his direct order. Bernardo continued in this manner until he decided to visit San Gimignano's markets, still flanked by bodyguards.

In 1479, Ezio Auditore was told of Bernardo's escape and general location with San Gimignano, though the mercenaries could not find the escaped quarry. Scanning the crowds, the Assassin used his Eagle Vision to locate Bernardo. Once found, Ezio stealthily eliminated Bernardo's guards and made his way to the Templar's side. Upon noticing Ezio, Bernardo fled in terror, but he was swiftly struck down by the Assassin's Hidden Blade.

Personality and traits

Bernardo during the Templar meeting

Much like his fellow conspirators, Bernardo was struck to cowardice by his terror of the Assassin and his inevitable demise. He surrounded himself with guards that would lay down their life for him, valuing his own above that of his men. Yet, as cowardly as Bernardo appeared, it was matched by his loyalty to his family; however distant, everything he had done against the Medici family was for his exiled cousins, whom Lorenzo had banished from Italy.

Bernardo's hatred was spawned from this act and spurred him into action, though the blame of attempted murder could not be completely taken from his name. Bernardo was shackled by paranoia, born from the fear of the Assassin. This paranoia was shown through constant muttering to himself in public, searching each and every hiding place in the market for a concealed killer, and instantly fleeing upon recognizing Ezio when the Assassin struck.

In regards to his figure, Bernardo was rather obese, and his eyebrows, hair, mustache and beard were all black. His head was covered by a small crimson hat with a white and pink feather poking from its small brim, and his clothing was all crimson, aside from beige tights and thick gold jewelry that draped his neck and fingers with finery.

Behind the scenes

Bernardo Baroncelli is a historical figure who was first introduced in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II, where he was voiced by the Canadian actor Tod Fennell. Like the events described in-game, Baroncelli did flee to Constantinople following the conspirators' failed attempt to murder Lorenzo and was arrested in the city, though the game deviates from reality at this point, as he was instead extradited to Florence and hanged at the Bargello the rather than being assassinated. Leonardo da Vinci later drew a sketch of Baroncelli's corpse, which shows that he was a thin, balding man of 60, in stark contrast to his more youthful, portly figure in-game. This discrepancy is echoed in the Pazzi conspirators' collective database entry, where his year of birth is erroneously put at 1453 instead of 1420 as historically documented.

Although Baroncelli's guards are described in-game as directly ordered to stay at his side and protect him, if players had Ezio hire mercenaries to kill the entourage in the market, Baroncelli would continue walking and not notice his dead soldiers just steps away from him.

Gallery

• 
  Bernardo at the Templar meeting
• 
  Bernardo attacking Giuliano de' Medici
• 
  Francesco and Bernardo attacking Giuliano
• 
  Bernardo in San Gimignano
• 
  Bernardo's final moments

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

References

de:Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli es:Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli fr:Bernardo Baroncelli hu:Bernardo Baroncelli it:Bernardo Baroncelli nl:Bernardo Baroncelli pl:Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli pt-br:Bernardo Baroncelli ru:Бернардо Барончелли zh:贝尔纳多·巴龙切利