Siege of Viana

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Cesare: "How did you find me!?"

Ezio: "The Apple you stole from Mario Auditore led me here."

—Ezio and Cesare, 1507

In 1503 Rodrigo Borgia, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, died of poison courtesy of his son Cesare Borgia. And with his death Rome was fully liberated from the Borgia's influential control. Subsequently following the murder of his father, Cesare was arrested by the newly appointed Pope, Julius II. In 1504 Cesare was later exiled to Spain and imprisoned at the Castle of La Mota, Medina del Campo, for several years. However he escaped and joined his brother-in-law King John III of Navarre.

The inevitable

Ezio: "It was the manner in which he said it. "Chains will not hold me.""

Leonardo: "If you are so worried, there is a way to find out."

Ezio: "No. It is too powerful. It must be hidden outside the domain of men."

Leonardo: "What a shame, hiding a masterpiece where no one will ever see it."

—Ezio and Leonardo regarding Cesare and the Apple, 1503.

After Cesare's arrest and exile to Spain, the Assassin Ezio Auditore - who had remained in Rome - was considering the possibility of Cesare still being a potential threat with his closest friend Leonardo da Vinci at the Assassin stronghold of Tiber Island. Ezio believed this after the manner Cesare claimed that chains would not imprison him for long and his vow not to die by the hands of man. Leonardo then encouraged Ezio to use the Apple see what would become of Cesare.

Ezio proceeded to do so despite his own initial protest and, upon gleaning information from the Piece of Eden, immediately left Rome for Spain. As Ezio makes his decision to leave, Leonardo questions Ezio about the Assassin's guild, to which Ezio replies that it was rebuild to last with or without him. With their departure, Ezio encourages Leonardo to accept his gift, a large settlement of money to help with his miniscule salary, guaranteeing him that the two would see each other again.

The Battlefield

A strange reunion

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Ezio gazing upon the beseiged Viana.

"Kill him! Kill the assassin! Tear the maldito bastardo (old fucker) to pieces!"

―Cesare commanding his guards to kill Ezio before fleeing, 1507.

By 1507 when Ezio finally tracked Cesare down to Viana the siege had already commenced. As the Navarre and Viana infantry fought on the battlefield and the cannons destroyed the nearby castle, town and countryside, Ezio wasted no time, immediately charging into the fray. Ezio soon located Cesare alongside his men on the battlefield, fighting the Viana infantry and without hesitation, he lunged towards Cesare with his Hidden Blade at the ready. However, Cesare was able to hold off the Assassin's attack. Demanding to know how Ezio discovered him. Ezio quickly claimed the Apple that Cesare stole from Mario Auditore led him here.

Despite Cesare holding off Ezio's killing blow Ezio eventually gained the upperhand and overpowered Cesare, striking him across the throat. However, Cesare's armour protected him, and he fled, commanding for his soldiers to spill Ezio's blood. Without effort he fended off the reinforcing soldiers and in an attempted to pursue Cesare, Ezio was then stunned by a wave of cannon balls that impacted the battlefield all around him. After regaining consciousness amidst several corpses of enemy soldiers, Ezio then pursued his nemesis.

Countryside chaos

"He once ruled all of Roma. I heard an assassin killed his supporters. Great rulers rise and fall like leaves in the wind."

―A Viana guard talking about Cesare's downfall, 1507.

Riding through the Viana warzone on horseback as he attempting to reach the ruins at what was once an olive field. Cannon balls however eventually killed his horse, forcing him to travel by foot. As Ezio drew closer to the besieged town, he eventually arrived at the olive field ruins, protected by Viana soldiers. Stealthily killing off the patroling soldiers and dispatching any who challenged him Ezio subsequently arrived at the besieged town. Ezio then evidently noticed Cesare, accompanied by several guards, approaching the town. A woman rushed to Cesare, seeking help in looking for her injured son, but she was promptly killed and discarded by his men, with Cesare continuing onwards to the city fortress.

Onward assault

Ezio: "Cesare! The walls surround you. There is nowhere to run."

Cesare: "Come then, Ezio!"

—Ezio and Cesare before their final battle, 1507.

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Cesare Borgia prepares to fight with Ezio.

Following some distance behind Ezio fought his way through the town, killing off the attacking Navarre and Viana soldiers. Subsequently reaching a burning seige tower, which he attempted to climb in order to progress to the other side of the town. However, as he neared the top, the tower had sustained heavy damage from cannon fire and collapsed, forced Ezio to perform a Leap of Faith and search for an alternative route to the Castle walls.

Battling his way through the other section of the town Ezio discover another siege tower at the Castel walls, which before proceeding noticed Cessare battling above. He successfully climbed it and fended off the the attacking soldiers above before proceeding.

Final confrontation

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Ezio attempting to kill Cesare Borgia with his hidden blade.

The batte of Auditore and Borgia

"Roma, Italia, España, they will all be mine."

―Cesare to Ezio during their final battle, 1507.

As Ezio ran through the battlements and finally reached Cesare, calling out for Cesare's attention and warned him there was no where to run, after killing his attackers Cesare immediatey challenged the Assassin.

As the siege raged all around them the two men battled for the first and last time. Cesare attacked Ezio with speed and skill, aided by his sword and pistol, doging his incoming blows and countering his attacks, while also periodically calling in waves of Navarre soldiers to aid him. Despite this, Ezio was able to defeat all of the soldiers and overpower Cesare by breaking off pieces of his armour with the Hidden Blade.

The hands of Fate

Cesare : "You cannot kill me. No man can murder me!"

Ezio: "Then I leave you in the hands of Fate."

—Cesare's final words to Ezio before his death, 1507.

Cesare Borgia's last moments.

After a long battle Ezio eventually pinned Cesare down. Cesare then claimed that the throne was his right, which Ezio told him he could not merely take as he wished and told him that a true leader empowers the people he leads. Cesare then stated that he would lead mankind into a new world, to which Ezio then wished no would ever remember the name of Cesare Borgia. Enraged and knowing his death was inevitable, repeatedly shouted that no mortal man could kill him, thus Ezio then declared he would leave Cesare in the "hands of fate" and threw him off the castle wall to his death.

Aftermath

After Cesare's death Ezio returned to Rome and was reunited with the other Assassins. Ultimately deciding that the Apple was too dangerous for the hands of man, Ezio would later seal the Apple away in a Vault beneath the Santa Maria Aracoeli and continue his tenure as the Grand Master.

Trivia

• In the story trailer for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio and Cesare are seen confronting each other alone on the castle wall. However, this scene never occured in the actual game.
• Although the Siege of Viana is where Cesare Borgia died in actual history, there is very little recorded information on the event. It is something of a historical mystery in terms of the outcome and important specific details, such as the amount of troops involved.
• When starting the game Desmond will attempt to access Sequence 9, and when the player ends up in the battle, Ezio tells Cesare, "--Mario Auditore led me here!" When accessing Sequence 9 after completing the previous 8, Ezio speaks the missing first part of his sentence, "The Apple you stole from Mario Auditore led me here!" This is because Sequence 9 was corrupted at the time that Desmond first attempted to access it, but was fully functional afterwards.
• The first time Desmond attempts access Sequence 9, Ezio will shove a Viana soldier aside as he charges towards Cesare, however, when Sequence 9 becomes fully operational, he charges straight passed each soldier until he confronts Cesare.
• When replaying the memory, after Ezio releases Cesare off from the castle walls, his body can be seen on the ground when looking down from the battlements right before the memory fades out.
• In reality after Cesare died at Viana he was buried at the altar of the Church of Santa Maria in the town with an inscription "Here lies in little earth one who was feared by all, who held peace and war in his hand."

Gallery

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  Cesare Borgia in Viana, Spain.
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  Ezio Auditore in Viana, Spain.
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  Cesare Borgia grabbing Ezio Auditore's arm as he tries to assassinate him.
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  Ezio charging towards Cesare, through the Viana warzone.
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  An unconscious Ezio amoung the dead bodies of the Viana battlefield.
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  Ezio standing alone in Viana.
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  Artwork of the Siege of Viana