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Antonio Maffei (1450 - 1478) was a Florentine monk employed by Lorenzo de' Medici, and one of the Pazzi conspirators who attempted to murder Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano.
Biography
Aiding the Templars
- "And Father, remember, you owe us your silence. Secrets are born here, and they die here. No one is to know about the content of this letter."
- ―Uberto Alberti to Antonio, regarding what he owes to the Templars.[src]
In 1476, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, an Assassin and ally of the Medici family, intercepted a letter from the conspirators who participated in the the assassination of Galeazzo Maria Sforza. He intercepted the letter in Venice, and quickly noticed its seal of the Barbarigo family.[1]
Giovanni brought the letter back to Florence, where he showed the letter to Lorenzo and Uberto Alberti, the Gonfaloniere. Uberto immediately realized that the contents were encrypted with a strange code, and that translating it would take several hours. Alberti then handed the letter to Father Maffei in order for the monk to translate its contents.[1]
Later that night, Maffei handed the translation to Uberto, who lauded him for his skillful work, and told him to fetch Giovanni. Before leaving, Uberto made Antonio swear a vow of silence of not to tell anyone of the true contents of the letter.[1]
Once Giovanni arrived, Father Maffei had already began creating a duplicated copy of the letter. Uberto claimed they were unable to decode it, and handed the duplicate of the letter for Giovanni to deliver to Rome, as was its original intention.[1]
Later that same year, after Giovanni's failure to capture Templar Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia, he returned to his home as his wife tended to his severe wounds. Father Maffei approached the Auditore residence with armed guards, demanding entry to the home and custody of the Assassin. However, Giovanni escaped as his eldest son bought him enough time to slip into a hidden passageway.[1]
Pazzi Conspiracy
In 1478, Maffei met with other Templar conspirators in the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella. The conspirators discussed their plot to kill the Medici, and usurp control of the city. Although Antonio himself did not speak, he did not object to any of his fellow conspirators' comments. He ended the meeting by uttering the Templar motto, "May the Father of Understanding guide us," along with his Templar brothers.[2]
As planned, the next morning the conspirators gathered at the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and observed the Medici as they walked towards the church. However, their walk was interrupted when one of the conspirators, Bernardo Baroncelli, charged at Giuliano de’Medici, and stabbed him multiple times.[2]
Lorenzo, hearing the furious charge, turned to look behind him. While he was briefly distracted, another conspirator, Stefano da Bagnone, stabbed Lorenzo in the back with a small blade. However, Lorenzo got up, and then struggled briefly with Antonio, who attempted to stab him, before throwing the monk off him.[2]
Refuge in San Gimignano and death
- "Antonio Maffei has sought refuge atop the city's tallest structure - spouting scripture and arrows in equal measure. The man has clearly lost his mind."
- ―A mercenary to the Assassin Ezio Auditore, 1478.[src]
After the Templar failure in Florence, Antonio fled to the city of San Gimignano inside Tuscany. There, he situated himself atop one of the city's lofty towers, and began to spout scripture while defended by patrolling archers.[2]
However, Giovanni Auditore's son and Assassin, Ezio Auditore, arrived in the city later that same year. Ezio met briefly with one of his uncle's mercenaries, before beginning his ascent up Antonio's tower.[2]
Eventually reaching the height of Antonio's tower, Ezio stealthily assassinated the archers who kept a vigilant watch of the area. The Assassin then climbed up a short ladder, and assassinated Antonio with his hidden blade on top of the tower. In his dying words, Antonio attempted to fight back against Ezio, and hailed him as a demon, before perishing.[2]
Final words
- Antonio: Away with you, demon!
- Ezio: Have some respect for death, my friend.
- Antonio: I'll show you respect! -
- Ezio: No, I will. Che tu possa alfine trovare riposo nel corpo e nella mente. (May your body and mind at last be still.) Requiescat in Pace. (Rest in peace.)
Trivia
- Historically, Antonio Maffei sliced Lorenzo below his right ear, and later found refuge in in the Badia Fiorentina across from the Palazzo Pazzi. He was later arrested, and hung from the Palazzo della Signoria.
- Antonio does not actually speak in Assassin's Creed: Lineage.
Gallery
-
Antonio with another monk. -
Antonio with Uberto as the latter reads the letter. -
Maffei, as seen in Lineage.
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Antonio and his guards threaten Petruccio Auditore.
References