Monteriggioni
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Monteriggioni is a town and commune of Tuscany, Italy. Built in the year 1213 by the overlords of Siena, Monteriggioni was actively involved in the defense of Tuscany against Florentine attempts to gain more territory.
At the front of this conflict was the Auditore family, who later became the town's rulers and protectors. They constructed Monteriggioni's famous walls, and the largest structure within them, the Villa Auditore.
Monteriggioni also served as the headquarters of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins from the early 14th century, when Domenico Auditore renovated the villa, to the year 1500, when the town was besieged by Cesare Borgia.
History[edit | edit source]
Domenico Auditore[edit | edit source]
In 1290, the Villa Auditore was constructed, though the identity of the one who built it is unknown. Thirty years later, in 1320, the exterior of the villa was damaged in a Florentine attack.[2]
Some time after the death of Dante Alighieri in 1321, Domenico Auditore bought and renovated the villa using funds he had gained from Marco Polo. Subsequently, Domenico and his son used Monteriggioni as a base of operations in their secret war against the Templars.[3] During the villa's restoration, Domenico changed its exterior and added a painting gallery.[4] He also hid the armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in the Sanctuary underneath the villa, which could only be unlocked using six Assassin Seals hidden in tombs dedicated to past Assassins.[5]
Near the end of Domenico's life, what would become the Auditore Family Crypt was built in the town. Domenico's memoirs, which told of how he had arrived in Florence and had taken the name "Auditore", would later be inscribed upon the crypt's walls.[3]
Mario Auditore[edit | edit source]
In 1355,[6] the Italian Assassins stole the Shroud of Eden from the French Templar Geoffroy de Charny and brought it to Monteriggioni.[7] Upon confirming the Shroud's validity, Renato Auditore decided that the Shroud needed to be hidden.[8] After concealing the artifact with claims of fraud and falsified church records, the city well was drained and excavated further in order to store the Shroud.[7]
In 1454, Mario Auditore was made sole ruler of Monteriggioni when his brother Giovanni moved to Florence.[9] The town came under frequent attack by Florence during this time, leading Mario to strengthen the town's economy and defenses in order to better withstand Florentine pressures.[8]
Soon after, Mario discovered that a man named Luciano Pezzati was causing strife within the town, by turning families against each other. After he was captured and interrogated, Luciano revealed that Florence was planning a large attack on Monteriggioni. Mario rallied his forces and successfully repelled the Florentine forces led by Federico da Montefeltro.[8]
After defending the town, Mario continued to interrogate Luciano, only to discover that the purpose of the Florentine attack was to acquire an ancient artifact hidden underneath the town. With the help of several architects and historians, Mario eventually discovered the Shroud in the hollowed-out well of the town, and had it removed from Monteriggioni by Giovanni.[8]
Over the next twenty years, Monteriggioni gradually fell into disrepair as Mario devoted more of his time to war and the Brotherhood. By 1476, most of the town's shops had closed, the number of visitors to Monteriggioni had decreased, and the upkeep of the Villa Auditore had been neglected.[5]
Ezio Auditore[edit | edit source]
In early 1477, Mario's nephew, Ezio Auditore, took shelter in Monteriggioni,[10] and later became the town's biggest investor and co-ruler with Mario.[11] For the next twenty-three years, Monteriggioni prospered as Ezio used the funds he had gathered during his adventures to reopen the town's shops, barracks,[12] the Felina brothel[13] and thieves' guild. The town's church, well, and mines were also reopened.[12]
Significant improvements were also made to the town's infrastructure, and the Villa Auditore was gradually renovated.[12] By December 1499,[14] Monteriggioni had become a vital headquarters of the Assassins, whose flag flew over the town.[12] Around this time, Mario also added cannons to the town's defenses.[15]
On 2 January 1500, Cesare Borgia—Captain-General of the Papal Army—led a siege on Monteriggioni in order to recover the Apple of Eden that Ezio had taken from the Templars. Though the Assassins were able to temporarily hold off the attack while the citizens were evacuated, the town eventually fell, resulting in Mario being killed and the buildings of Monteriggioni suffering significant damage.[16]
Lo Sparviero[edit | edit source]
Following this, Monteriggioni was taken over by the House of Medici. They sent the soldiers from the Republic of Siena to protect the town. With the exception of the Villa Auditore, Monteriggioni was eventually renovated and became inhabited once more.[17]
The Assassins abandoned the town, relocating their headquarters to Rome. However, one lone Assassin, Lo Sparviero, remained in Monteriggioni to protect the citizens and guard the town's secrets.[18]
Around 1502, Pietro de Galencia, a Templar spy who had been living in Monteriggioni under the guise of a doctor, learned of a secret path to the town's tunnels after kidnapping an elderly man, whose son was an Assassin.[19] To distract Lo Sparviero while he explored the tunnels, Pietro hired three mercenaries disguised as tax collectors to harass the citizens, and bribed the Captain of the Guard to protect the mercenaries.[18] While Lo Sparviero dealt with the mercenaries,[20] Pietro navigated the tunnels and found an old chest hidden by Mario,[19] which contained the blueprints of a Hidden Blade.[21]
After discovering the theft of the chest, Lo Sparviero searched for the thief, to no avail.[18] Eventually, after a few days, the man held prisoner by Pietro escaped and alerted the citizens to Pietro's treachery, just as the Templar was preparing to flee Monteriggioni. Thinking quickly, Pietro summoned his henchmen to the front of the town church,[19] but Lo Sparviero found them and, after a short chase, assassinated Pietro.[22] He then searched the man's home and learned of his affiliation with the Templars and theft of the chest, though it was too late to recover the latter, as it had already been sent to Cesare Borgia.[19]
At some later point, an elderly Ezio returned to Monteriggioni and entered the Sanctuary underneath the Villa Auditore. There, Ezio left a clue for the password to the Colosseum Vault, which would eventually be found by his descendant, Desmond Miles.[23]
Decades later, the Auditore family regained control of Monteriggioni, though the town was betrayed in 1554 by Giovannino Zeti, the keeper of the garrison and a Florentine exile, who was allowed to return to Florence in exchange for the keys to the city. Though the town was soon conquered by the Medici family of Florence, the Auditore were allowed to continue their leadership over Monteriggioni, due to their good relations with the Medici.[24][25]
Modern Monteriggioni[edit | edit source]
By the 21st century, the town remained largely unchanged from its Renaissance appearance, and had become a tourist attraction, with a plaque in front of the ruined Villa Auditore commemorating the siege of the town by the Borgia.[23]
On 9 September 2012, a small team of modern-day Assassins, composed of Desmond Miles, Lucy Stillman, Shaun Hastings, and Rebecca Crane, arrived in Monteriggioni to seek refuge from the Templars of Abstergo Industries. They set up a temporary hideout in the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore, where the cell signals that Abstergo was using to locate them could not reach.[23]
The group remained there for the next month as Desmond used the Animus to determine the location of Ezio's Apple of Eden, venturing above ground only at night or when supplies were needed. Also, while Desmond explored Monteriggioni at night during his breaks from the Animus, he managed to recover some of his ancestors' possessions. After discovering the Apple's location and the password to the door of the Colosseum Vault, the team left the town for Rome on 10 October 2012, 72 days from the launch of Abstergo's satellite.[23]
Around the same time, Abstergo used Monteriggioni as a simulated location in the first stage of their Animi Training Program.[26]
In 2016, Monteriggioni was used as a simulated location by Abstergo Entertainment for their Identity Project. Like most of the simulated locations in the project, Monteriggioni had two aesthetic variations, and as such, could be utilized during daytime and nighttime.[27]
Renovations[edit | edit source]
Upon his arrival in Monteriggioni, Ezio was able to invest in the renovation of various buildings throughout the town, with the help of an architect hired by Mario. As the town was renovated, the appearance of the Villa also improved, and flags (marked first with Auditore crest, and then with the Assassin insignia) were also added to buildings.[12]
Active buildings[edit | edit source]
| Name | First renovation | Second renovation | Third renovation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | 1,500ƒ | 5,000ƒ | 9,000ƒ |
| Doctor | 3,000ƒ | 5,000ƒ | N/A |
| Tailor | 1,000ƒ | 2,500ƒ | 5,000ƒ |
| Blacksmith | 5,000ƒ | 7,000ƒ | 12,000ƒ |
| Art Merchant | 1,000ƒ | 5,000ƒ | 8,000ƒ |
Restored buildings[edit | edit source]
| Name | Cost |
|---|---|
| Church | 4,000ƒ |
| Well | 4,000ƒ |
| Thieves' Guild | 3,000ƒ |
| Brothel | 3,000ƒ |
| Military Barracks | 3,000ƒ |
| Mine | 4,000ƒ |
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- History
- Historically, Monteriggioni and its characteristic walls were built by the Sienese in 1213, with Dante Alighieri mentioning both in his Inferno. The in-game database, however, states that the Auditore family, which would rule Monteriggioni only at a later time, constructed the walls.
- The Villa Auditore does not actually exist in Monteriggioni. It appears to be modeled on the Villa di Maiano near Florence.
- Assassin's Creed II
- Throughout the town, Ezio could find eight statuettes of Ancient Roman gods. Each pair of statuettes belonged to a pedestal, and each completed pedestal rewarded Ezio with 2,000 florins. Additionally, finding all of the statuettes granted the "Myth Maker" achievement.
- After restoring the mine, well, and church, hidden treasure chests could be found within each structure. The towers on the walls of Monteriggioni also contained treasures; however, these chests could only be reached after the barracks, brothel, and thieves' guild were renovated.
- The tunnel and traps that Mario Auditore crossed to reach the Shroud in 1454 were absent by the time Ezio arrived in Monteriggioni.
- Ezio would receive 10% revenue of each investment's price every twenty minutes. Furthermore, any renovations of the four shops allowed him to receive discounts of up to 15% on all of the items' original prices.
- The Auditore Family Crypt could be unlocked through Uplay.
- Once it was fully renovated, Monteriggioni had a total of 3,500 residents.
- Total renovation cost of the town was estimated at 91,000ƒ.
- The achievement "Podestà of Monteriggioni" could be gained by reaching 80% of Villa Auditore's total value.
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the entrance to the Auditore Crypt was missing in Sequence 1. However, it appeared once more in modern-day Monteriggioni.
- When Ezio returned to Monteriggioni after the confrontation in the Vatican, none of the merchants could be interacted with.
- As of 1500, there were at least 500 residents of Monteriggioni, which could be seen in the beginning of Brotherhood during the attack of the Papal forces.
- Desmond could leave the Animus at any time and explore Monteriggioni, though only for ten minute intervals. However, for the first time before doing so, he had to equip a watch and an earpiece, in order to remain in contact with his team.
- In modern-day Monteriggioni, a red trail was visible while using Eagle Vision. The trail led from the back entrance of the Villa Auditore to the fountain bearing the Assassin insignia. After the completion of Sequence 6, the trail was no longer present. Darby McDevitt and Falko Poiker explained in an interview that the trail was intended to help players find their way back to the Sanctuary, though its red color was an oversight.
- By 2012, the shops Ezio had renovated had been replaced with different businesses. A tourist information booth stood where the art merchant had been, the tailor's shop had been replaced by a bakery and café, the doctor's shop had been converted into a tavern, and the blacksmith's shop had been converted into a hotel. Only the bank retained its original purpose.
- During the initial Siege of Moneteriggioni memories, several wall towers had been destroyed by Borgia siege weapons but when Ezio and the residents of the city escaped, the wall towers were still there as if they were never attacked by the Borgia.
- The Italian text from the World Preservation Site plaque in front of the villa incorrectly stated the town was attacked by the forces of "Pope Alexander IV", as opposed to "Alexander VI".
- During Sequence 1, Ezio could enter Mario's study. While the Codex Wall was present, the Codex pages themselves would not glow with the markings forming the world map, when seen using the Eagle Vision.
- The faction flags seen on the towers near the faction buildings in Assassin's Creed II were not present in Brotherhood.
- Assassin's Creed: Identity
- The entrance to the Auditore Family Crypt was covered by the newly-renovated buildings and could not be seen.
- Two database entries can be retrieved in the two aesthetic variations of Monteriggioni during missions: Villa Auditore during Daytime, and Felina during Nighttime.
- Some roads were blocked by fences in the Nighttime aesthetic variation.
- Flags of the Medici family can be seen hanging from the wall tower, replacing the previous Assassin flags.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
- Assassin's Creed: Recollection
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates
- Assassin's Creed: Identity
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR
References[edit | edit source]
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