Paola
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- Ezio: "And why are you going to teach me how to kill?"
- Paola: "I'm not. I'm going to teach you how to survive."
- —Paola, to Ezio Auditore, 1476.[src]
Paola (1438 - unknown) was the leader of the Florentine courtesans, owner of La Rosa Colta and a member of the Assassin Order.
Biography
Early life
Paola was born in 1438, as the daughter of two members of the Assassin Order. When Paola was eight years old, her parents were killed at sea[1] and she and her sister Annetta[2] were left without care.[1]
Given the choice to join either a nunnery or a brothel, Paola chose to live a life on the streets instead.[1]
Becoming a courtesan
- "I too know betrayal."
- ―Paola about her past.[src]
After having survived on the streets for 20 years, she was arrested for murdering a city guard. Fortunately for her, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, an inducted member of the Assassin Order, represented her in court and won the case on a self-defense plea.[1]
Becoming an Assassin herself afterwards, Paola founded a brothel, which she named "La Rosa Colta", to help other women who were forced to live on the streets. Annetta, meanwhile, became the Auditore family's live-in servant.[1]
Assisting Ezio Auditore
- "Discretion is a paramount in my profession. We must walk the streets freely: seen, but unseen. You too must learn to blend like us and become one with the city's crowds."
- ―Paola to Ezio.[src]
In 1476, Giovanni Auditore and two of his sons were executed by the Templars, for treason against Florence. Annetta brought Giovanni's wife Maria and daughter Claudia were taken to Paola to seek refuge, where they were soon followed afterward by Giovanni's remaining son Ezio.[1]
Paola taught Ezio how to remain undetected by the city guards, as Ezio aspired to take revenge on Uberto Alberti - the man who had ordered his family's execution. Afterwards, she sent him to Leonardo da Vinci, who would be able to repair Giovanni's broken hidden blade.[1]
After Ezio had his blade repaired and used it to kill Uberto, he returned to Paola, who informed him of ways to draw the city guard's suspicion away from him. After having done so, Ezio took his mother and sister to the safety Monteriggioni.[1]
Acquiring the Apple of Eden
- "He's gone. But we have what we came for..."
- ―Paola about Rodrigo and the Apple[src]
In 1488, Paola and some of the other Assassins gathered in Venice to acquire the Apple of Eden, an ancient artifact which was to be brought to Venice by the Templars the same day. They went to the location where Rodrigo Borgia, the Grand Master of the Templar Order, would retrieve the Apple from his henchmen.[1]
Arriving there, the Assassins stumbled upon Ezio fighting off Rodrigo and his guards. While Paola, Teodora Contanto and Niccolò Machiavelli remained on the sidelines, the other Assassins assisted Ezio in the fight. When the fight was over, Rodrigo fled and Ezio took the Apple, followed by Niccolò revealing that all of them were secretly Assassins - to Ezio's surprise.[1]
That same night, Ezio was initiated into the Order by Paola and others, afterwards they all performed a Leap of Faith from a tower.[1]
Bonfire of the Vanities
- "You've done well, Ezio."
- ―Paola commenting on Ezio's work in Florence.[src]
Girolamo Savonarola took control of Florence after the death of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1494 with the help of the Apple that he had obtained from Ezio six years earlier.[3]
In 1497, Savonarola started the Bonfire of the Vanities, where he forced all of the Florentines to destroy any form of progression into the Renaissance. Niccolò met with Paola, and informed him that Ezio was going to assassinate all of Savonarola's lieutenants and that they would need to lead the citizens into a revolt.[3]
After all nine lieutenants had been killed, Paola, Ezio, La Volpe and Machiavelli witnessed a mob gather in front of the Palazzo Pitti and take Savonarola captive. Shortly afterwards, Paola was also present at Savonarola's burning, though Ezio killed him before the fire reached him, and gave a speech about the Assassins guiding him and that men have the privilege of free will.[3]
Later life
- "Do you see where it is then?"
- ―Paola asking about the Vault[src]
In 1499, Paola traveled to the Villa Auditore to help formulate the plan to assassinate Rodrigo Borgia. She and the others distracted the city guard in Rome while Ezio infiltrated the Sistine Chapel.[1]
After that, Paola kept contact with the Auditore family, especially Claudia, with whom she had become close friends. In 1512, Claudia mentioned Paola was still alive and a leader of the Assassins.[4]
Trivia
- According to the Animus database created by Shaun Hastings, Paola supposedly lost her parents in 1446 or 1447, though Annetta was born in 1457. Either one or both of these dates must be false.
Gallery
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Paola's concept art. -
A torture scar on Paola's upper arm.
-
Paola with the Assassins, as they are introduced to Ezio. -
Paola at the Villa Auditore. -
Paola along with Ezio and Niccolò watch the citizens of Florence rebel.
References