Carnevale

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Ezio at the Carnevale celebration

The Carnevale was an annual event held in Venice, Italy known for the extravagant costumes and decorated masks. Believed to have started in 1162, it became an official tradition during the Renaissance.

Civilians and noblemen celebrated the festival by playing games and competitions in the fair and involving themselves in various activities such as dancing and watching entertainers and performers in the streets and city squares. The environment was vibrant, and people were garbed in colorful, unique dresses along with different dominoes and masks. The streets were filled with banners and processions of people, and fireworks decorated the sky during the festival.

History

Beginning of the Carnevale

In 1486, after failing to save the Doge of Venice from a Templar-plot led by Rodrigo Borgia and being falsely accused of murdering the Doge, the Assassin Ezio Auditore returned to the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo tried to lift Ezio's mood by telling him that since the Carnevale would be starting soon and everybody would be wearing masks, hiding his identity would not be a problem. Borrowing a mask and a cape from Leonardo to remain undetected, Ezio went to the Dorsoduro district to meet with Antonio de Magianis at a Sister Teodora's brothel as directed by Leonardo.

Meeting with Teodora

At the brothel, after gaining Teodora's trust by killing the murderer of one of her employees, Ezio learned that the new Templar-appointed Doge Marco Barbarigo would leave the Palazzo Ducale that very same night, in order to host the party he'd thrown himself. But in order to enter the party, Ezio would need to get hold of a Golden Mask, which could not be forged as each one of them was numbered.

Golden Mask Games

Ezio winning a contest.

Ezio then went to the gaming section of the Carnevale, where four games were being held, with the Golden Mask being awarded to the winner. Ezio participated in and won all four games, but the game conductor was bribed by Silvio Barbarigo, who, along with Dante Moro, had been watching these events unfold from amongst the crowd, to award the Golden Mask to Dante.

But the Assassins made a plan to steal the Golden Mask from Dante and enter the party. Ezio managed to pickpocket the mask from Dante and hence gained a way to enter the party.

Unrequited love

Leonardo informing Ezio of Cristina's presence in the Carnevale

While on his way to the party, Ezio met Leonardo who informed that Cristina Vespucci was in Venice for the Carnevale, along with her husband Manfredo Soderini. Ezio, planning to chance a meeting with Cristina, wrote a letter summoning her to meet him in an alleyway. Mistaking Ezio to be her husband, Cristina and Ezio kissed. However, when she discovered it was Ezio, she pushed him away angrily, stating incredulously that she hadn't seen him in eight years. As Ezio attempted to explain himself, Cristina interrupted him by saying that she had loved him, and not her fiance, all those years ago, yet he had abandoned her to be married. She coldly said that his chance had passed, and told him to never look for her again.

At the Doge's party

Ezio killing Marco at the party.

After his meeting with Cristina, Ezio resumed his way to the party. Ezio managed to enter the party, however Dante arrived moments later to alert guards of Ezio's presence. Managing to avoid the guards, Ezio waited until Marco came out of his cabin on the nearby ship to deliver a speech. Ezio then killed Marco, using his recently acquired hidden gun, managing to time his shot with the firework explosions.

Attire

Ezio's Carnevale attire

Colorful and flamboyant clothes were characteristic customs of the Carnevale. These attires were accompanied by decorated masks and dominoes.

During the Carnevale, Ezio wore his Carnevale outfit consisting of a cape given by Leonardo da Vinci accompanied by a simple mask, and later the Golden Mask.

Games

The Carnevale also included various games and competitions. Ezio competed in four such games to gain the Golden Mask which would allow him to enter the Doge's party as an honorary guest.

Ezio pickpocketing ribbons from a group of women

In the first game, Ezio had to pickpocket some ribbons from the women around the district. The ribbons came in three bundles. Small bundles contained 2 ribbons, medium bundles contained 4 ribbons and large bundles contained 6 ribbons.

In the second game, Ezio had to capture his opponent's flag whilst protect his flag from his opponent a total of three times.

In the third game, Ezio had to complete a timed race by beating the record set by the previous contestant.

Ezio defeating Dante Moro

The last game was a fist-fighting competition with no weapons or arms available to use. Ezio easily defeated the initial few challengers before Dante Moro himself challenged Ezio. Though the Assassin defeated him, Silvio Barbarigo bribed the judge to allow him to send in several armed guards to render Ezio physically unable to continue. Ezio dispatched them easily, however, the Golden Mask was not awarded to him, due to Silvio's intervention.

Trivia

• Even after the events of the Carnevale, the citizens will continue to celebrate it for the remainder of the game, albeit without fireworks, in the district of Dorsoduro.
• Ezio cannot change outfits during the Carnevale.
• During the E3 demo of Assassin's Creed II, there are bonfires in the Carnevale as well which Ezio uses to fly Leonardo's Flying Machine.

Gallery

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  People celebrating the Carnevale.
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  Citizens dancing during the Carnevle.
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  Silvio Barbarigo holding the Golden Mask.
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  The game announcer addressing the crowd in the Carnevale.
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  Ezio's Carnevale cape.
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  Fireworks on display during the Carnevale.