Micheletto Corella

"Micheletto. The best killer in Roma. No one escapes him."

―La Volpe.

Micheletto Corella, also known as Michele di Coreglia or Miguel de Corella, (1470 - 1506) was a condottiero, and a member of the Templar Order. At one point, he was also the Governor of Piombino.

Biography

Early life

Micheletto Corella was born in Valencia, Spain, but grew up in Rome, Italy. He was a childhood friend of Cesare Borgia, and would later become his protector.

Serving the Borgia

Micheletto would go on to serve the Borgia for the rest of his life, Cesare in particular. He became Cesare's personal executioner, killing any who stood in his master's way. He also became a condottiero and was the governor of Piombino for a short period of time.

Siege of Monteriggioni

In January 1500, Micheletto accompanied Cesare, along with Lucrezia Borgia, Juan Borgia, and Octavian de Valois to lay siege to Monteriggioni in order to bring down the Auditore and acquire the Apple of Eden. They left for Rome victorious, having taken both the Apple and Mario Auditore's life.

Murders

Many of Micheletto's murders went unrecorded, though knowledge of a few were kept known throughout the years. The Church aided Micheletto by covering up or ignoring his killings.

File:MichellottoStrangle.png

Micheletto strangles Vitellozzo and Oliverotto.

On 18 August 1500, Alfonso of Aragon, the husband of Cesare's sister, Lucrezia Borgia, was killed by Micheletto on Cesare's orders, as the latter was jealous of Alfonso.

In 1502, Micheletto killed Giulio Cesare da Varano and three of his sons, enabling Cesare to take over Camerino.

Micheletto killed Astorre III Manfredi, the Lord of Faenza, on 9 June 1502 inside the Castel Sant'Angelo.

On 31 December 1502, Cesare ordered the arrest of all his top captains who had once left his ranks, and who he later invited to rejoin him. Two of these, Oliverotto da Fermo and Vitellozzo Vitelli, were strangled back to back by Micheletto. The rest were thrown in prison.

Teaching Giovanni

At times between 1500 and 1503, Micheletto was left to guard and teach Giovanni Borgia, Cesare's adopted son, and Lucrezia's biological child. He attempted to instruct Giovanni in how to be both tough and merciless, often beating him to force him to learn how to defend himself.

Micheletto in a "lesson" with Giovanni.

At one point, Micheletto brought Giovanni into the city, and instructed him to engage an old man in conversation. As the boy spoke with him, Micheletto approached the old man from behind, and strangled him to death, merely to teach Giovanni the cruelties of the world.

These "lessons" only resulted in Giovanni hating Micheletto, and eventually prompting him to run away from home.

Final tasks

"You cannot save Pietro. The wine he drank was poisoned. As I promised Cesare, I made doubly sure."

―Micheletto to Ezio.

Francesco Troche being killed by Micheletto.

In August 1503, not long after the death of Octavian de Valois, Micheletto accompanied Cesare to a meeting with Francesco Troche, who had told his brother Egidio of Cesare's plans for Romagna. Egidio had sent letters to the ambassador of Venice to warn him, though these letters had been intercepted. Francesco attempted to have Cesare spare his life, but he was ultimately strangled to death by Micheletto, and his body was thrown in the Tiber River.

Micheletto then went on to meet with some Borgia guards, giving them costumes with which they could infiltrate the Colosseum Passion Play to kill Pietro Rossi, Lucrezia's latest lover. Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed by the Assassin, Ezio Auditore, who had sent his apprentices to take down all the aforementioned guards, and steal the costumes they had been given.

Ezio continued to follow Micheletto to the Colosseum, where he took down all the Borgia arquebusiers posted there. Donning his own costume, Ezio followed Micheletto onstage, where they both joined the play.

Ezio about to kill Micheletto.

As soon as Ezio came close to Micheletto, he attacked him with his hidden blade. However, Ezio did not finish him off, saying that Micheletto would bring himself down by aiding Cesare. Micheletto stated that he had poisoned Pietro with the wine, but Ezio saved Pietro by bringing him to a doctor.

Cesare later killed his father, Pope Alexander VI, after the latter attempted to poison Cesare. As a result, the Borgias' influence over Rome was gone and Cesare became powerless. Cesare sent Micheletto to gather an army to take back Rome, though he never arrived; and instead, Cesare was captured by the Papal Guard. With his master captured, Micheletto fled Rome.

Rescuing Cesare and death

"Is this my reward? For all my years of faithful service?"

―Micheletto argues with Cesare.

After fleeing Rome, Micheletto traveled to Valencia, where he stayed at the Lone Wolf Inn. He and his followers set up shop in the Inn, however, they were confronted by Ezio and Machiavelli. After a brief skirmish, in which most of Micheletto's men were killed, he fled the scene. Micheletto then made his way to the Castillo de la Mota, where his master, Cesare, had been imprisoned. Using a most intricate plan, Micheletto and his followers were able to free Cesare from his prison. Along with his master, Micheletto once again traveled to Valencia, where his master set to work, mobilizing his forces. Their forces, however, were soon broken after an attack by the Assassins. Micheletto then met with his master at their headquarters, the Lone Wolf Inn. While Cesare explained his further plans, Micheletto stated that he would aid his master. Cesare, however, merely commented that Micheletto had failed him. Enraged by this, Micheletto attacked his master, however, Cesare was quicker than him, and shot him through the head.

Personality

"I obey, Cesare."

―Miceletto to his master, Cesare.

Micheletto was the most loyal of Cesare's followers, complying with his every demand. A man of steely determination, Micheletto often went to great lengths to see that his master's will was fulfilled. He often thirsted for his master's approval, showing extreme discontent when it was not shown, as is clear from his obvious outburst at Cesare for not rewarding him in his efforts to free him. Also a very cruel man, Micheletto had no qualms about killing an innocent man, in fact, it seems as if he rather enjoyed killing his victims.

Final words

(As Ezio attempts to stab Micheletto, he laughs.)

Micheletto: You cannot save Pietro. The wine he drank was poisoned. As I promised Cesare, I made doubly sure. (Ezio gets up and leaves him.) I am not yet dead.

Ezio: I did not come here to kill you. He who is the cause of someone else becoming powerful is the agent of his own destruction.

Trivia

Micheletto Corella's portrait.

• In the the mobile phone version of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Micheletto was called Michelotto.
• Upon "assassinating" Micheletto, he is wearing his Passion play costume. However, when he is saying his "final" words, he is wearing his ordinary clothes.
• During Micheletto's "final" words, Ezio will hold up his right Hidden Blade to Micheletto's throat, regardless of whether the player had purchased the second blade from Leonardo.
• In real life, Micheletto later worked in Florence from 1505 to 1507, and was killed in Milan on January 1508.
• Ezio's last statement to Micheletto, "He who is the cause of someone else becoming powerful, is the agent of his own destruction", can be found in Chapter 3 of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, albeit in more detail.
• Micheletto is the second target spared by Ezio, and the third to be spared in the Assassin's Creed series. The others are Maria Thorpe (spared by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad), and Rodrigo Borgia.