Uberto Alberti

"As Gonfaloniere it is my duty to ensure that the city of Firenze remains a shining beacon of justice. Corruption and its ilk shall find no purchase here so long as I am in control."

―Uberto Alberti, on his role as Florence's Gonfaloniere, 1476.

Uberto Alberti (1416 – 1476) was the Gonfaloniere of Florence during the Renaissance, and a member of the Roman Rite of the Templar Order. Despite his reluctance, Uberto turned against his former allies Lorenzo de' Medici and the Auditore family.

Before his defection, Uberto was close friends with Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, though he personally authorized the arrest and execution of Giovanni and his family by order of the Templar Grand Master, Rodrigo Borgia, in exchange for the promises of his own family's financial wellbeing.

Biography

Early life

"According to the history books, this guy was a saint. He prosecuted murderer, rapists, the worst criminals. One of the best lawyers in Italy, he won every case, in spite of the fact that he was self taught."

―Shaun Hastings, regarding Uberto Alberti.

Uberto Alberti lived in Florence for most of his life, and was a well-known and respected lawyer. The majority of the prosecutions he made were successful, despite the fact that his legal skills were entirely self-taught. During his time as a lawyer, the Medici bank evicted his family, which made him thirst for revenge against the Medici family.

From this resentment, he came into contact with the Templars, who promised to give him what he desired in exchange for his cooperation. Uberto agreed, and secretly conspired with them after his election in the Signoria, to which he began making ties with the Medici to gain Lorenzo's trust as well as becoming a trusted friend of Giovanni Auditore.

Working with the Medici

Uberto advised both Giovanni and Lorenzo on certain matters, and was involved in the interrogation of one of Rodrigo Borgia's men regarding the pre-planned assassination of Galeazzo Maria Sforza. He was put in charge of decoding a letter Giovanni had intercepted in Venice, though after it was deciphered by Antonio Maffei, Uberto disposed of it as part of his agreement.

Uberto then had a copy of the letter created in its pre-deciphered state. From there, he then passed on the letter to Giovanni and had him deliver it to Rome, in the Assassin's hopes of following the conspirator's trail. After the near escape of Rodrigo Borgia from Giovanni in Rome, Uberto was among those called to a meeting held by the Spaniard. Taking part alongside the other Templars, Uberto was informed that Giovanni had to be disposed of in order for their plans to succeed.

Auditore execution

"In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you guilty."

―Uberto to Giovanni, 1476.

Some time later, Ezio Auditore stumbled upon Uberto in Giovanni's office, where his father and the Gonfaloniere were conversing about something urgent; Ezio was dismissed by Giovanni before he could understand their discussion. Soon after, Uberto warranted the arrest of Giovanni, Federico, Petruccio, and Ezio for the crime of treason. However, Ezio was running errands for his father when the guards arrived and therefore managed to evade arrest. After visiting Giovanni in prison, Ezio was ordered to deliver a letter to Uberto containing incriminating evidence of the conspiracy against the Medici family.

Uberto at the Auditore execution

Once Ezio arrived, Uberto asked the young Florentine noble if he would like to stay at his house, presumably with the intent of murdering him, though Ezio declined. Moments before Ezio left, he caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure, who was in fact Rodrigo Borgia – the man behind the events that were yet to come.

Afterwards, on the day of the execution at the Piazza della Signoria, Giovanni angrily reminded Uberto of the evidence that had been given to him by Ezio which proved his family innocent, though Uberto purposely claimed that he had no recollection of such evidence, before sentencing the three to death. Giovanni cried out that Uberto would pay for his betrayal with his life, as would his Templar allies, before he and his sons were promptly hanged.

At the sight of their demise, Ezio ran towards the stage with his sword, claiming that he would kill Uberto for what he had done, but was subdued by two guards. Although Ezio managed to break free he was approached by a Brute guard who disarmed him before he was able to get close enough. However, at the urging of some of Giovanni's friends, a thief and a courtesan, Ezio fled from the scene.

Upon his escape from the guards, Ezio met up with the Auditore housemaid Annetta, who directed him to go to her sister's house, near to the Duomo. Once there, Annetta's sister, Paola, taught Ezio the skills necessary to elude attention and assassinate Uberto, and kept his mother Maria and sister Claudia safe until he had managed to do so.

Death

Uberto: "You would have done the same, to save the ones you love."

Ezio: "Yes, I would. And I have."

—Uberto's final moments, 1476.

After a day of training Ezio, Paola had her courtesans track down Uberto's location so that Ezio's act of vengeance could take place. Following this, Ezio followed Uberto to the Santa Croce cloister, where he was attending an art exhibition of Andrea del Verrocchio.

Ezio killing Uberto in a fit of rage

On his way there, Uberto conversed with Lorenzo de' Medici about the Auditore execution, and subsequently insulted him. As Ezio evaded the guards patrolling the courtyard of Santa Croce, Uberto spoke with various attending nobles, who lauded him for the execution. Ezio listened in, seething with anger as Uberto insulted his family and congratulated himself for their deaths. Immediately after Uberto told his audience that Ezio would be dead within the next week or so, the Assassin sprang into action. Uberto noticed Ezio approaching, but was too shocked to call the guards.

Seizing the opportunity, Ezio brutally killed Uberto with the Hidden Blade, stabbing him multiple times in the chest. As he bled out, Uberto attempted to justify himself to Ezio, claiming he had only sought to save the ones he loved, but was coldly dismissed. Ezio then proclaimed to all in attendance that the Auditores were not dead, and that his family's legacy lived on through him.

Personality and characteristics

Uberto was a confident man whose belief in himself and his power bolstered on becoming an ally of the Templars. Even so, all of his actions were manipulated by Rodrigo Borgia, who promised Uberto the wealth that he required to keep his family secure.

Because of this, Uberto carried out any of Rodrigo's demands, never defying him, even when he was asked to execute his close friend's family. However, Uberto kept his true allegiances to himself, never sharing it with the family he loved and cared for, in the hope that the cost for keeping them safe outweighed his guilt for his betrayal.

Behind the scenes

Uberto Albertini is a character in the game Assassin's Creed II and the film Assassin's Creed: Lineage. He was both voiced in-game and portrayed in the film by Michel Perron.

According to Uberto's database entry, he was not a Templar, even though Mario had identified him as one when pressed by Ezio. In the database entry's accompanying video, four nooses are hung on the gallows in front of the Palazzo della Signoria instead of the three shown in-game. Presumably, this fourth rope was meant for Ezio. The same picture has the Auditore family in a different order, wearing slightly different clothes, hung above the stage, not dropped below it.

In the non-canonical mobile adaptation of Assassin's Creed II, his profession is described only as a judge and not as the Gonfaloniere of Florence. Ezio Auditore does not hunt him until 1486, and his assassination occurs in Venice instead. While Uberto is riding on a gondola with an escort of guards, Ezio chases after him by running down a walkway parallel to the canal, eventually using a grappling hook to propel himself above Uberto from which he then air assassinates him.

Gallery

• 
  Original concept art of Uberto Alberti
• 
  Uberto's portrait in the Villa Auditore's gallery
• 
  Uberto in Lineage
• 
  Uberto with Antonio Maffei
• 
  Uberto reading the courier's letter
• 
  Uberto with Giovanni and Lorenzo
• 
  Uberto meeting Ezio
• 
  Uberto with Rodrigo Borgia
• 
  Uberto arguing with Lorenzo on the way to Santa Croce
• 
  Uberto's final moments

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Lineage (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
• Assassin's Creed II (mobile game) (non-canon)