Vieri de' Pazzi

"He seeks your approval. Your attention. These outbursts of his are a result of insecurities borne out of a sense of inadequacy. He speaks of you often and fondly and expresses a desire to be closer to you. So if he is loud and foul and angry - I believe it is simply because he wants to be noticed. He wants to be loved."

―Fra Giocondo to Francesco de' Pazzi on Vieri.

Vieri de' Pazzi (1459 – 1478) was a member of the Roman Rite of the Templar Order and an opulent Florentine noble.

Vieri was a member of Florentine nobility, and was the youngest member of the affluent Pazzi family. He was the son of Francesco de' Pazzi, brother of Viola de' Pazzi, and also the great-nephew of Jacopo de' Pazzi.

Biography

Early life

"Vieri de' Pazzi. The youngest member of the second most notorious Florentine banking family, this kid knew how to burn right through his father's money."

―Shaun Hastings' observations on Vieri, 2012

One evening in 1476, Vieri ambushed a love-interest, Cristina Vespucci, at her home within Florence. Upon noticing Vieri at her abode, Cristina wearily notified Vieri that she was not interested in him, though Vieri protested, telling Cristina he had grown tired of waiting to have sexual intercourse with her.

Before Vieri was able to sexually assault Cristina, however, Ezio Auditore emerged. Ezio had been following Cristina, and decided to confront Vieri. After a brief argument, the two brawled, and Ezio proved victorious. Fleeing, Vieri threatened Ezio, claiming his entire family would suffer for Ezio's interference. This incident led Vieri to resent the Auditore even more than he had already done.

Sometime later that same year, 1476, Vieri's father Francesco was arrested on evidence obtained by Giovanni Auditore. This led the animosity between the two rivaling families to grow, eventually culminating in a street brawl on the Ponte Vecchio.

Vieri and Ezio both arrived at the brawl with their supporters alongside them. While Ezio brawled with the Pazzi supporters, Vieri merely observed from the other side of the bridge. Soon Ezio's brother Federico, arrived, and assisted Ezio as he beat up the Pazzi supporters. Ultimately recognizing his defeat, Vieri retreated from the bridge with his few remaining men.

Work as a Templar

Sometime in January of 1477, Vieri confronted Ezio in the Tuscan countryside near Monteriggioni. Ezio was attempting to escape Florence with his sister and mother, seeking sanctuary in Monteriggioni where Ezio's uncle, Mario Auditore, owned a villa.

Vieri ordered his men to kill the Auditore family members, though Ezio was narrowly able to fend off the guards. Before Vieri's men were able to attack Ezio again, however, Ezio's uncle arrived with his mercenaries. Fighting alongside Mario's men, Ezio helped drive Vieri from the countryside.

Following the fiasco near Monteriggioni, Vieri and his men attacked Monteriggioni repeatedly for over eighteen months. Eventually, in April of 1478, Ezio met with his uncle and his mercenaries near San Gimignano. There, Mario informed Ezio of the plot to slay Vieri and terminate his control over the city.

Death

"I'm sorry, were you hoping for a confession?"

―Vieri de' Pazzi's last words, 1478.

Vieri and the other Templars in San Gimignano

Later that same evening in April of 1478, Vieri, Francesco, and Jacopo met with Templar Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia. The Templars gathered to discuss their plans to overthrow the Medici and gain control of Florence. During the meeting, each conspirator was assigned a task for the plot, and Vieri was to remain in San Gimignano to coordinate the mercenaries.

After receiving his duty for the plot, Vieri vocalized his concerns regarding Mario, though Rodrigo told him they would deal with the Auditore later. Having concluded their discussion, Vieri ended the meeting by uttering the Templar pledge alongside his fellow Templars. Francesco, Jacopo, and Rodrigo then departed from the city, though Vieri stayed behind. He and his men were soon ambushed by Mario leading a group of mercenaries. Observing the charging enemies, Vieri quickly made his way onto the city battlements.

While the battle raged on below, Ezio, who had been covertly watching the entire meeting, made his way onto the battlements. He briskly dealt with Vieri's men, and entered a duel with Vieri himself. The two fought fiercely, though Ezio overpowered Vieri and impaled him using his Hidden Blade. As Vieri was dying from his wound, Ezio grabbed his shirt and tried to wrest some answers from him, demanding to know what the conspiration was planning and whether or not the reason his father was killed was because he had discovered their plans. Vieri, however, spent his last breaths insulting Ezio, mocking him for expecting some kind of deathbed confession, before he finally expired.

Enraged, Ezio starting violently shaking Vieri's corpse and shouting curses at it, telling him that he had received the fate he deserved and wishing he had suffered more. Ezio's uncle, Mario, appeared and chastised Ezio for hurling abuse at his now dead enemy. Ezio spat back that Vieri would not have shown them such courtesy had he been in their situation, but Mario reminded him that nonetheless, he was not Vieri and should not stoop to his level, before giving Vieri his last rites.

Legacy

In 1511, many decades after Vieri's death, an elderly Ezio disguised himself as a minstrel and sang about his childhood nemesis while attending a banquet in Constantinople held in honor of Prince Suleiman I, who had just returned from his hajj to Mecca.

Personality and characteristics

"So if he is loud and foul and angry - I believe it is simply because he wants to be noticed. He wants to be loved."

―A letter from Fra Giocondo to Vieri's father, Francesco.

Vieri taunting Ezio on the road to Monteriggioni

Vieri was a man who would do anything to get what he desired. However, he was also a coward, and would flee when his plans failed or when confronted in combat. He challenged Ezio on various occasions, yet would nearly always flee when actually confronted.

He was also known for conducting races which he would tamper with in order to come out victorious. Although if his competitors were able to win somehow, Vieri would invite their entire families over, and then serve them a poisoned meal. His desire for success in competition and glory endured throughout his entire life.

As briefly hinted at during Vieri's fight with Ezio in 1476, and made manifest in a letter from the priest Giovanni Giocondo to Vieri's father, Vieri behaved in this way merely because he sought attention and approval from his father. Vieri wished for Francesco to recognize his abilities and devotion to the Templars. Giocondo also observed that Vieri simply wanted to be loved, mentioning that the boy spoke often and fondly of his father, as well as expressing a desire to be closer to him.

Behind the scenes

In Assassin's Creed II, Vieri's database describes him as being born in 1454, whereas his father is said to have been born in 1444. This was an error in the database with Vieri's age, considering the impossibility of Francesco having a son at age ten. Even further complicating matters, Vieri's portrait in the Villa Auditore's painting gallery claims he died in 1477, despite the game showing he was killed in 1478. In the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia, Vieri's date of birth is corrected to 1459, making him Ezio's age.

A brief database entry is available for Vieri in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood if Ezio manages to reach Vieri before Cristina in "A Second Chance".

At 19, Vieri is the youngest Templar shown in any of the games.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Vieri de' Pazzi
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  3D model of Vieri
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  Database potrait in Assassin's Creed II
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  Database potrait in Brotherhood
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  Vieri's portrait in the Villa Auditore's gallery
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  Vieri harassing Cristina Vespucci
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  Ezio confronting Vieri at the Casa di Vespucci
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  Vieri with his supporters on the Ponte Vecchio
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  Vieri confronting Ezio and his family
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  Vieri and Rodrigo Borgia in San Gimignano
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  Ezio assassinating Vieri
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  Vieri's final moments
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  Ezio shouting at Vieri's corpse

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (flashback)
• Assassin's Creed: Recollection
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations (mentioned only)