Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is a major city located in central Italy, and the capital of the region of Tuscany. During the late 15th century, the city was ruled by Lorenzo de' Medici, a member of the powerful Medici family, and housed four districts: Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, San Marco, and Oltrarno.

However, the city later fell into a dark age with the Bonfire of the Vanities, when it was under the reign of a tyrannical monk, Girolamo Savonarola.

History

Medici rule

After Cosimo de' Medici's revolt, the Medici family governed the city in what would come to be known as its Golden Age; a true Renaissance. The family had a focus on the arts and sciences, as well as an intricate banking system. At the time, the city was also home to some of Italy's most notable figures; including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

At some point after the year 1291, the Assassin Domenico and his son Renato came to live in Florence, and adopted the name of "Auditore". Under this guise of nobility, they quickly assimilated themselves into the city's upper class, and became a well-respected and known family in Florence.

The city flourished during the reign of Lorenzo de' Medici. Throughout his rule, great artists, philosophers, and others contributed to the city's development. Various architectural marvels blessed the streets of Florence, such as the Santa Maria Novella, the Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio.

Though the Assassin-affiliated Auditore family abandoned Florence after the Pazzi conspiracy in 1476, one of its members, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, continued to frequent the city. During the early 16th century, he would also send his apprentices to Florence to complete several contracts for the Assassin Order; such as delivering reports, stealing weapons, or delivering forged pardons.

Bonfire of the Vanities

After the death of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1492, he was succeeded by his son, Piero. Piero ruled as Signore of Florence until 1494, when he was exiled from the city by Girolamo Savonarola.

Between 1497 and 1498, the monk instigated the Bonfire of the Vanities, where paintings, books, and other fineries were publicly burned throughout Florence. Despite civil unrest, Savonarola held control over the people with both the Apple of Eden, and the terror of his nine lieutenants.

Eventually, in May of 1498, the Assassin Order intervened in his rule. Ezio Auditore tracked down and killed Savonarola's nine lieutenants, while Niccolò Machiavelli, La Volpe, and Paola rallied the citizens. The Florentine people eventually rioted before Savonarola's residence in the Palazzo Pitti, dragging him to the Piazza della Signoria to be burned at the stake.

Modern times

In 2012, Florence was used as a simulated training location by Abstergo Industries during the first and second stage of their Animi Training Program, being introduced to the latter via a system update.

The simulation depicted the Mercato Vecchio, a well-known marketplace in Florence's Santa Maria Novella district, and the surrounding area, which featured lots of narrow alleys, allowing for a quick escape when necessary. Visitors could take a break from the vendors' noisy shouting by reclining on the benches in one of the area's relaxing courtyards. Construction was in progress on some of the rooftops, with hanging platforms having been set up, which allowed people to move easily from the encircling buildings to the Mercato Vecchio itself.

Florence, like most of the simulated locations in the first and second stage, had two aesthetic variations. As such, it could be utilized during the day or the night.

Landmarks

• Santa Maria Novella District
  • Mercato Vecchio
  • Santa Maria Novella
  • Basilica di San Lorenzo

The Mercato Vecchio in Florence

• San Marco District
  • Palazzo Medici
  • Ospedale degli Innocenti
  • Basilica di Santa Croce
• San Giovanni District
  • Bottega di Leonardo a Firenze
  • Piazza della Signoria
  • Santa Trinita
  • Palazzo Auditore
• Oltrarno District
  • Palazzo Pitti

Trivia

• In Assassin's Creed II, the Battistero di San Giovanni was missing from the front of the main entrance to the Santa Maria del Fiore, despite being built several hundred years before the events of the game. Ubisoft explained that the Baptistry's disappearance was due to hardware limitations.
• Florence also appeared in four of Ezio's suppressed Cristina Memories.
• During the Bonfire of the Vanities sequence, the sky over Florence was covered by dark clouds.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Florence
• A map of Florence
  A map of Florence
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  A map of Florence in the Animi Training Program
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  Florence from a bird's eye view
• The rooftops of Florence
  The rooftops of Florence
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  A panoramic view of the city streets
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  Ezio surveying Florence from a view point
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  Ezio killing a guard on a Florentine rooftop
• Ezio in Florence at night
  Ezio in Florence at night
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  Florence's Database Icon