Assassin Tombs

Darius' sarcophagus inside Santa Maria Novella

The Assassin Tombs are a group of six tombs or shrines hidden across Italy and dedicated to legendary Assassins from around the world.

History

The tombs were presumably built during the 14th century by the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins, around the same time as the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni. After founding the House of Auditore, the Italian Assassin and noble Domenico Auditore constructed the Sanctuary to commemorate seven of the Brotherhood's most illustrious members, each of whom received a statue in the Sanctuary.

All seven of these legendary Assassins—with the exception of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad—also received a corresponding tomb, which contained a wealth of treasure, a sarcophagus, and a replica of their statue from the Sanctuary. Furthermore, inside each tomb lay an Assassin Seal which, when brought together with the other five, would unlock a secure gate in the Sanctuary, behind which the indestructible Armor of Altaïr was set. The six tombs were hidden within various churches and landmarks across a number of towns and cities in Italy. Secret paths to these tombs could be opened by unlocking skull-shaped locks.

At some point in his youth, Domenico's great-grandson Mario searched for the tombs, with no success. In 1478, Mario showed the Sanctuary to his nephew Ezio Auditore as the latter was becoming devoted to the Assassin cause, and told him about the tombs, encouraging Ezio to seek them out himself.

Locations

Florence and San Gimignano

Ezio entering the Santa Maria Novella tomb

Within the region of Tuscany there were three tombs: two in Florence and one in San Gimignano. The first was located within the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella's catacombs and was discovered by Ezio in 1478 after eavesdropping on the Italian Templars' meeting. This tomb was dedicated to Darius, the assassin of Xerxes I of Persia.

The second tomb was located in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, within the lanterna above the building's domed top. It commemorated Iltani, who was responsible for poisoning and killing Alexander the Great.

The third tomb was within San Gimignano and was built atop the Torre Grossa although access to the tomb was only possible by passing through the city's Palazzo Comunale below. This tomb was dedicated to Wei Yu, who had assassinated the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.

Forlì and Venice

The secret entrance's mechanism in use

Within the territories of Romagna and the Venetian lagoon, three more tombs were built. In Forlì, beneath the Rocca di Ravaldino, lay the tomb of Qulan Gal, who killed Genghis Khan.

The other two lay in Venice. Within the San Marco district, the eponymous Basilica di San Marco housed a cenotaph of Amunet, whom Assassin legend held responsible for what was actually Cleopatra's suicide and whose remains still rested in Egypt. The final tomb was located beneath the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione and commemorated Leonius, the assassin of the Roman Emperor Caligula.

Armor of Altaïr

Main article: Armor of Altaïr

Ezio obtaining the Armor of Altaïr

Locked away behind a gate in the Sanctuary lay the Armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a virtually invulnerable suit of armor created by the Levantine Assassins' Mentor using knowledge he had gained through studying his Apple of Eden.

Between 1478 and 1497, Ezio found and explored all six Assassin Tombs throughout Italy and took their respective Assassin Seals, placing them at the bottom of their corresponding statues in the Sanctuary. This unlocked the gate and allowed Ezio to acquire the Armor of Altaïr. He went on to wear it for several years, until its loss during the Siege of Monteriggioni in early 1500.

Monteriggioni

Ezio in the Auditore family crypt

Another tomb, the Auditore Family Crypt, was built in Monteriggioni and connected to the Sanctuary through a series of underground tunnels. It was constructed by Domenico Auditore to serve as the resting place of Domenico and his son, Renato. Domenico's life story was inscribed across the walls along the pathway, from the main entrance to the crypt itself.

At the same time of his search for the six Assassin Tombs, Ezio explored this crypt as well, learning of his family's history and involvement with the Assassins. Ezio's father Giovanni had previously explored the crypt in his youth, and their Desmond Miles would do so centuries later in modern times.

Behind the scenes

Prior to the release of Assassin's Creed: Origins in 2017, each Assassin Tomb was believed to be the actual resting place for the Assassin it was dedicated to due to the presence of a sarcophagus containing a mummified body. However, Origins retconned this by having Amunet actually be buried alongside her husband Bayek in Egypt, meaning that the mummy from Amunet's tomb in Italy is fake. Whether this is the case for the other tombs, however, remains unknown.

Gallery

• 
  The Tomb of Iltani
• 
  The Tomb of Wei Yu
• 
  The Tomb of Amunet
• 
  The Tomb of Leonius' outside chamber
• 
  Leonius' statue and sarcophagus
• 
  The Tomb of Qulan Gal

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Memories (indirect mention only)
• Assassin's Creed: Identity (mentioned in Database entry only) (indirect mention only)