Database: Villa Auditore (Brotherhood)

Constructed in 1290, the Villa Auditore is an important medieval predecessor to early Renaissance architecture. The Villa’s wonderful symmetry and ordered geometry were a revelation for its time.

After a Florentine attack in 1320 left the façade damaged, Domenico Auditore, Ezio Auditore’s great-grandfather, purchased the Villa. Although he publically admitted to a renovation of the façade and addition of a painting gallery, he orchestrated a complete restructuring of the interior in secret, designing his home to double as a fortress and training ground, looking out both over the city that it protects and the Tuscan plains.

Domenico was more than just an architect and warrior; he was also a skilled engineer. Recently discovered hidden compartments and rooms with mechanisms blocking entry are several unique features of the building that make it a technological marvel as well as an architectural one.