Arno

This article is about the waterway. You may be looking for the Assassin during the French Revolution.

The Arno, as seen from Ponte Vecchio.

The Arno is the primary waterway of Florence. It is a river that runs through the southern portion of the city and separates the Oltrarno District in the south from the San Giovanni, San Marco, and Santa Maria Novella District districts in the north.

History

Near-death experience

"When I was six years old I fell into the Arno. I soon found myself drifting down, and into darkness, certain my life was at an end."

―Lorenzo de' Medici recalling a childhood accident, 1478.

Sometime in 1455, a six-year-old Lorenzo de' Medici fell into the Arno, and because he could not swim, he believed that his life was over as he drifted deeper into the river. Fortunately for the young boy, Lorenzo was rescued by Giovanni Auditore, who dived into the river and pulled him out, much to his mother's gratitude. Following this event, a long-lasting and successful relationship developed between the Auditore and Medici families.

Auditore-Pazzi brawl

In December 1476, a teenage Ezio Auditore and his allies rallied on the Ponte Vecchio to brawl their rivals, the Pazzi. In the ensuing fight, Ezio and his brother Federico managed to subdue the Pazzi and force the remaining instigators, led by Vieri de' Pazzi, to flee back across the bridge.

Auditore last rites

Cristina: "Tell me, what can I do?"

Ezio: "My family's bodies... I can't just leave them hanging from the gallows. I need to give them last rites. Send them on to the next world..."

—Ezio explaining his plan to Cristina, 1476.

Some days later, Ezio met his lover, Cristina Vespucci, near the Arno. He informed Cristina that he needed to provide his family with their last rites after Ezio's father Giovanni and brothers Federico and Petruccio had been executed. Upon collecting his family members' bodies from the Palazzo della Signoria, Ezio made his way back to the river. Stealthily and swiftly maneuvering past the vigilant guard patrol, Ezio was able to place his family's bodies on a gondola on the river, leaving them to finally rest in peace.

Manfredo and the gamblers

Two years later, Ezio returned to Florence on business and met Cristina once again, learning that her fiancé, Manfredo Soderini, had been confronted by men that he owed money to on an unfinished bridge over the river. After defeating the gamblers, Ezio held Manfredo over the edge of the bridge until he confessed that he truly loved Cristina and would be a good husband to her, swearing to abandon gambling.

Bonfire of the Vanities

In 1497, during the Bonfire of the Vanities, the Ponte Vecchio was blockaded by the Condottiero, one of the lieutenants of Girolamo Savonarola, who demanded payment for passage. The Condottiero was later killed by Ezio, allowing Florence's citizens to freely cross over the river once more.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
  • Bonfire of the Vanities
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion (mentioned in Database entry only)