La Volpe

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"They call me many things: Murderer. Tagliagole (Cutthroat). Thief. But you may call me La Volpe."

―La Volpe, introducing himself.

Gilberto, or La Volpe (The Fox) as he preferred to be known, was the leader of the Florentine Thieves and a member of the Assassins Brotherhood. Very little information is known about La Volpe, and any that is seems mythical.

He is said to have robbed the Papal carriage without any guards noticing him, including the Pope who was obviously sitting inside. One night in Florence, during the year of 1467, he was seen on the rooftops of the Palazzo della Signoria, the Palazzo Medici, and Santa Croce, all at the same time. It is also said that he is an immortal and can see through buildings.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze first met him in Florence when he was seeking a way to get close to Francesco de' Pazzi. Ezio's money was stolen by a thief who lead him to La Volpe. La Volpe introduced himself, and revealed that he knew who Ezio was, even before he could say anything. He claimed that it was his "business" to know everything that happens in Florence. He told Ezio about where Francesco de' Pazzi and the Templars would meet, and led him to the Santa Maria Novella. La Volpe explained the secret path that ran underneath the city, and instructed Ezio how to gain enterance to the underground area. After Ezio returned with the news of the Templar plot, La Volpe expressed his concern over the safety of the citizens and the Medici during High Mass. Ezio assured him that no harm would come to them.

During the Bonfire of the Vanities, he, along with Paola, was contacted by Niccolò Machiavelli to help Ezio liberate the citizens and areas controlled by Girolamo Savonarola's lieutenants. After Savonarola's death, he left the area along with his fellow Assassins.

In 1499, La Volpe met with the Assassins In Monteriggioni to unveil the location of the Vault. Later, they traveled to Rome and helped distract Rodrigo Borgia's men from the Sistine Chapel.

Trivia

• In the database files, it claims that La Volpe is only his pseudonym, as there is no record of his actual name. However, in the novel Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, he called himself "Gilberto," but preferred to be known as "La Volpe."
  • The reason for this was said to be because only a fox could match his cunning.
  • His real name is the Italian derivative of Gilbert, meaning "bright pledge."
• His ability to see through buildings was likely what allowed him to discover the location of Francesco de' Pazzi, which he later relayed to Ezio.
• His eyes are violet.
• He is shown using a butcher's knife as his weapon.
• It should be noted that when Ezio travels with him to the Santa Maria Novella, Ezio falls behind and runs out of breath, while La Volpe breathes normally; proving that even though he is older, he has a lot more stamina.
• It should also be noted that La Volpe accomplished a feat that Ezio cannot, in being seen atop Palazzo Medici (one of the few rooftops in the game that cannot be reached).
• La Volpe is the only other Assassin besides Ezio who has a hood in Assassin's Creed II, one of the most iconic features of the Assassins. However he, like all other supporting Assassins in the game, does not wear the trademark Hidden Blade. The hood he wears, however, is not cut in the shape of an eagle's beak.
• The "La" in La Volpe's name refers only to the fact that "volpe," the Italian word for fox, is a feminine noun. Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean "vixen." Comparable to this is the word "aquila," Italian for eagle, which is also a feminine noun.