Marco Barbarigo

Marco Barbarigo (1413 - 1486) was a member of the Knights Templar and Doge of Venice in the last year of his life. Belonging to a rich and powerful family, Marco was a tyrant who was used to getting his own way.

Biography

File:Marcobarbarigo.png

Marco meets with other Templars in Venice.

Once a friend of his bodyguard and attendant, Dante Moro, Marco became attracted to Moro's wife Carlotta and orchestrated an attempt on his former friend's life. Dante escaped his killers, but his wounds left his brain damaged. Marco made Dante renounce his marriage and afterwards he married Carlotta.

Like most of the Barbarigo family, Marco became involved with "the Spaniard" Rodrigo Borgia and his plot to take over the Venetian government. In 1485, after the assassination of his relative Emilio Barbarigo, Marco, Dante, Silvio Barbarigo and Carlo Grimaldi met with Rodrigo Borgia to discuss the progress of Grimaldi's mission. Unbeknownst to them, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze eavesdropped the meeting and discovered the Barbarigos' allegiance.

After the deaths of Doge Giovanni Mocenigo and Carlo Grimaldi, Marco was appointed Doge himself. Declaring Ezio an "enemy of Venice" for the murdering of Doge Mocenigo, Marco hid in the Palazzo Ducale, never to come out. However, Ezio managed to infiltrate Marco's private carnevale party. When Marco finally showed up on his boat to deliver a speech, Ezio took his chance to assassinate Marco, after which Marco's brother Agostino Barbarigo became Doge.

Final Words

Marco: No, it's too soon. I'm not ready.

Ezio: We rarely are. Che la morte non sia crudele. (Death be not unkind.) Requiescat in pace. (Rest in peace.)

Trivia

Marco talking to his messenger in Lineage.

• In Assassin's Creed: Lineage, Marco Barbarigo is portrayed by Frank Fontaine, who was 89 years old at the time.
• Although he was intended to be assassinated by the Hidden Gun, in his death scene Ezio is at his side as if he had been assassinated by the Hidden Blade, and it is possible to actually do so.
• In real life, Marco didn't die during the Carnevale, but in Agoust, probably for a dispute between nobles.