Previous	Siege of Monteriggioni
Liberation of Rome
Timeframe	Renaissance
Date	1500-1503
Place	Rome
Outcome	Decisive Assassin victory Rome liberated from the Borgia's influence. The death of Rodrigo Borgia. Cesare Borgia imprisoned.
Affiliations involved	Assassins Italian Assassins Templars House of Borgia Papacy
Participants	Ezio Auditore da Firenze Niccolò Machiavelli La Volpe Bartolomeo d'Alviano Claudia Auditore da Firenze Fabio Orsini Pantasilea Baglioni Caterina Sforza Egidio Troche Juan Borgia the Elder Octavian de Valois Micheletto Corella Lucrezia Borgia Pietro Rossi Cesare Borgia Rodrigo Borgia

[Source]

The liberation of Rome took place during the Italian Renaissance, in which the city of Rome was freed from the rule of the Borgia by the Italian Assassins, and was brought rather belatedly into the Renaissance.

Contents 1 Beginning of the insurrection 1.1 Rome in ruins 1.2 Revival of the Roman underground 1.3 Eradication 2 Removal of Cesare's resources 2.1 The Banker 2.2 Skirmish with the Baron 2.3 The Templar assassin 2.4 The freedom of Rome 3 Aftermath 3.1 Assassins 3.2 Templars 3.3 Cesare Borgia 3.4 Rome 4 Reference

Beginning of the insurrectionEdit

Rome in ruinsEdit

In 1500, following the besieging of Monteriggioni, Master Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze began his journey to Rome, enraged and seeking revenge for the attack on his home, and the murder of his uncle, Mario Auditore. However, he passed out half way there due to the injuries he had sustained during Cesare Borgia's attack, and was thus brought to Rome by Niccolò Machiavelli who found him there in the countryside.

Waking up, Ezio discovered a young woman, who helped heal his injuries, though not fully. After telling him to meet Machiavelli at the Mausoleo di Augusto and providing him with a new Assassin garb, Ezio left to meet with Machiavelli. Ezio discovered Rome in ruins, with the majority of the citizens living in fear. Poor and starving and the guards corrupt and ruthless. The city decaying under the oppression of the Borgia.

Meeting with Machiavelli, he told Ezio of the Borgia's rule. Reaching some stables, Machiavelli claimed they could not use it, as the Borgia taken certain areas of the city for themselves. However, Ezio, tired of seeing the city under despair and misery, burned down the nearby Borgia Tower, the source of their power in that district. With this, the stables were able to reopen and some of the Borgia's presence was diminished. Machiavelli subsequently showed Ezio the only Assassin strong hold in Rome.

Arriving there, Ezio and Machiavelli were greeted by Fabio Orsini, an ally wishing to overthrow the Borgia, mainly to destroy Cesare's power. Powerless against the Borgia, Ezio asked Machiavelli of their contacts in the city, though he admitted all of the Roman underground were unable to help the Order because of their own problems. Ezio then set off to establish contact with the Roman Mercenaries, Courtesans and Thieves.

Revival of the Roman undergroundEdit

First Ezio was able to find the La Volpe Addormentata, the Thieves' secret headquarters. Finding La Volpe there, Ezio was able to help them repair the run down headquarters and have it disguised as an inn, so the Borgia would not become suspicious. However, La Volpe told Ezio he suspected Machiavelli of being a traitor to the Order. Shortly repairing the military barracks for the Mercenaries' guild along with Bartolomeo d'Alviano, after burning down the Borgia Tower there.

Finally attempting to ally himself with the Courtesans' guild, Ezio found the madonna of the brothel kidnapped by slave traders. Ezio attempted to bargain with the slave traders in order to save the madame, though they killed her. Ezio was able to fend them off his attacked and return to the brothel. However, Ezio found Claudia and Maria at the brothel. Claudia volunteered for the position of madonna, to help Ezio and his quest to liberate Rome.

With this, Ezio was able to have all three guilds support the Assassin Order in their insurrection against the Borgia. Subsequently, Ezio, Machiavelli and the three guild leaders met at the Tiber Island stronghold to discuss how they would defeat the Borgia.

EradicationEdit

Ezio then proceeded to destroy twelve Borgia Towers, all of which were propagating the Borgia influence across Rome. As he did, he also restored various shops and famous Roman landmarks, successfully giving the people the will and initiative to think for themselves, and to fight for their own rights. As the Borgia's influence was weakened day by day, military presence in the districts became diminished, and crime rates began to drop.

To further bring down the Borgia, each of the agents under the command of Cesare Borgia were hunted down by Ezio and his Brotherhood, resulting in the Templars losing crucial power in the city. Additionally, the Followers of Romulus, who were commanded by Cesare and their Papal overlords, were also brought down by Ezio. To stop these false pagans from terrorizing the people of Rome, he infiltrated their lairs and killed their leaders.

Removal of Cesare's resourcesEdit

The BankerEdit

Shortly after rescuing Caterina Sforza from the Castel Sant'Angelo, Ezio realized that, in order to completely remove the Borgia's influence, he would need to cut off Cesare’s funds. La Volpe determined that Cesare’s funds came from one known as "the Banker." Claudia Auditore confirmed this, and spoke of a senator, Egidio Troche, who owed the Banker money.

Ezio set out to find the senator, and eventually came across him being harassed by the Banker's debt collectors. Ezio killed the collectors and led Egidio to safety. After offering to provide the money Egidio owed, Ezio followed him to the place where the money was to be collected, the Pantheon.

Once there, Ezio assassinated the guard who was counting the money and impersonated him by wearing his armor. He delivered the money to the Banker’s henchmen, who were to bring it to the Banker himself. Ezio followed the carrier into the party the Banker was holding, and sat on a nearby bench. When the Banker walked by, Ezio pounced on and assassinated him. With the first of Cesare’s three generals gone, Cesare was deprived of his funds.

Skirmish with the BaronEdit

Main article: Skirmish in the Campagna district

Ezio soon found out that Cesare had persuaded King Louis of France to lend him an entire army to aid in his conquests. This army, which was under the command of the Baron de Valois, was currently engaged in close conflict with the Assassin and condottiero, Bartolomeo d'Alviano.

Ezio, with Bartolomeo's aid, came up with a plan to assassinate the general of the French forces and leave them in disarray. However, during the battle, Bartolomeo’s wife, Pantasilea, was kidnapped by the Baron.

Seemingly left with no other alternative, Bartolomeo began to prepare for surrender. However, Ezio stopped him, and offered a plan which would allow them to safely rescue Pantasilea: Ezio and his mercenaries would disguise themselves as French soldiers pretending to escort a "surrendering" Bartolomeo, and enter the French camp without arousing suspicion.

The plan was successful, and once inside, Ezio signaled for the mercenaries to begin the attack. However, the Baron retreated deeper into the camp with Pantasilea as a hostage. Ezio nevertheless was able to approach undetected, and assassinate the Baron. With the second of Cesare’s three generals gone, his military troops were in disarray.

The Templar assassinEdit

Cesare's power was now weak with his troops and funds in shambles, thus Ezio felt that it was time to move in for the kill. However, in order to enter the heavily guarded Castel Sant'Angelo, he would need to be able to slip in undetected. For this, La Volpe suggested retrieving the key that had been given to Pietro Rossi, Lucrezia Borgia's current lover.

However, in doing so, Ezio uncovered a plot to assassinate the actor. Cesare had found out about Pietro's relationship with his sister, and thus had sent his butcher, Micheletto Corella, to kill Pietro during his performance at the Passion Play to be held at the Colosseo.

Ezio realized that if Pietro was assassinated, he would never be able to reach Cesare, thus he set out to save Pietro. Disguising himself and his recruits as actors, he managed to get on stage and neutralize Micheletto, although Micheletto told Ezio that he had already poisoned the wine Pietro had drank during the play.

Ezio was forced to bring Pietro to a nearby doctor, whose medicine cured Pietro. Ezio demanded the key from Pietro, to which the actor obliged.

As he made to leave, however, Ezio saw one of the thieves who had been at the Villa Auditore during Cesare's attack. The man fled when confronted, and Ezio gave chase. Upon catching the man, Ezio discovered that he was the one who had been spying on them for the Borgia. The man killed himself upon the Assassin's Hidden Blade, uttering "Long live the Borgia!" as he did.

Ezio hurried raced back to Tiber Island to prevent La Volpe from killing Machiavelli, who he had long suspected was the traitor. Once he had successfully proven Machiavelli's innocence, a meeting of the Assassins was called. Claudia Auditore was initiated into the Order, and Ezio was declared the Mentor of the Italian Assassins.

With Micheletto neutralized, Ezio now had a way to enter the Castel Sant’Angelo, locate the stolen Apple of Eden, and assassinate Cesare. This final act would truly liberate Rome.

The freedom of RomeEdit

Ezio once again infiltrated the Castel with the help of the key to the side door he had obtained. Once inside, he made his way towards the Papal apartments, and eventually arrived at a window that led into the Pope’s chambers.

There, he then witnessed a conversation between Cesare and his father, in which Cesare furiously demanded as to where his funds and troops had gone. Rodrigo informed him that it had been the Assassins' doing, but refused to offer Cesare any monetary aid or compensation.

Cesare stated that if Rodrigo would not give him money, he would use the Apple of Eden to get what he wanted. Rodrigo told him that he had hidden the Apple, prompting Cesare to demand its location. Their conversation was interrupted by Lucrezia, who ran into the room claiming that Rodrigo planned to poison Cesare with the apple that he had just taken a bite out of.

Cesare spat out what he had been eating and furiously rammed the remaining apple down his father's throat. Lucrezia pleaded for him to stop by telling him that she knew where the Apple of Eden was. Cesare immediately attacked Lucrezia and demanded that she tell him.

Ezio, meanwhile, made his way to the open window, but by the time he had gotten in, Cesare had departed in search of his objective. Lucrezia then gave the location to Ezio as well, and he raced to get to the courtyard in front of Basilica di San Pietro before Cesare.

He arrived there in time and, locating the Apple with Eagle Vision, reclaimed it for the Assassins. Upon his narrow escape, he began to use the Apple to kill the remnants of Cesare's army, leaving him with next to nothing.

In September, 1503, Cesare met with his few remaining Templar loyalists at the gates to Rome, in order to await his army that he had recalled from the battlefield to aid him. Instead, Cesare was ambushed by the Assassins, and his men were killed, though he himself safely sealed himself outside the city walls in order to escape them.

The army that arrived for him, however, was not his own, but that of Fabio Orsini, who had been warranted to arrest Cesare upon the order the new Pope, Julius II. At this, Rome was fully liberated from the influential rule of the Borgia and the Templars.

AftermathEdit

AssassinsEdit

Shortly following Cesare's fall from power, Ezio was worried that he still remained a threat despite his arrest, and was encouraged by his closest friend Leonardo da Vinci to use the Apple and see what would eventually become of him. Despite his initial protests, Ezio decided that he could not risk Cesare's return, and used the Apple to see what the future held. Ezio then immediately left Rome for Spain, seeking to prevent Cesare from winning the Siege of Viana.

TemplarsEdit

Having most of their important members dead or driven out of Rome, the Templars lost control of the city. After a new Assassin affiliated Pope was elected, Pope Julius II, the Templars lost all hope of ever seizing control of Rome ever again.

Cesare BorgiaEdit

In 1504, Cesare was exiled to Spain and imprisoned at the Castillo de la Mota. However, he was in luck, as the Count of the city provided him with a rope to aid him in an escape attempt. Cesare dropped seventy feet from the prison wall, fracturing several bones, but was saved after he landed on the servant that accompanied him.

Leaving the injured servant behind, he escaped the area dressed in a merchant's garb, and joined his brother-in-law, King John III of Navarre. In 1507, King John ordered Cesare to lead his 10,000 men to Viana to reclaim Viana Castle from the Count of Lerin. Cesare planned to win the battle to regain the support of the French, and eventually take back Rome.

RomeEdit

After Rodrigo's death and Cesare's fall from power, Rome went through a massive change. All the shops had re-opened, the factions were re-established, and the citizens underwent a change from bandits and beggars, to artists and merchants. The Papal Guards were no longer corrupt, and the prosperity and light of the Renaissance had finally been brought into Rome.

ReferenceEdit

• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Timeline Prehistory Human-First Civilization War • Toba catastrophe 12th century Third Crusade • Siege of Masyaf • Assault on Masyaf • Quest for the Chalice • Defense of Masyaf • Hunt for the Nine • Battle of Arsuf • Retaking of Masyaf 13th century Fourth Crusade • Assassination of Genghis Khan • Decline of the Levantine Assassins • Fall of Masyaf 15th century Fall of Constantinople • Defense of Monteriggioni • Assassination of Galeazzo Maria Sforza • Pazzi Conspiracy • Venetian Conspiracy • Battle of Forlì • Bonfire of the Vanities • Ottoman-Venetian War • Confrontation in the Vatican 16th century Siege of Monteriggioni • Liberation of Rome • Skirmish in the Campagna District . Search for Cesare Borgia • Attack on Valencia • Siege of Viana • Battle of Agnadello • Assassination of Niccolò di Pitigliano • Attack on Prince Suleiman • Riot at the Harbor of Theodosius • Destruction of the Great Chain • Fight for the Masyaf Keys • Night of Sorrows 18th century Golden Age of Piracy • French and Indian War • Braddock Expedition • Louisiana Rebellion • Boston Massacre • Boston Tea Party • American Revolutionary War • Midnight Ride • Battles of Lexington and Concord • Battle of Bunker Hill • Battle of Monmouth • Battle of West Point • Battle of the Chesapeake • Attack on Fort George • French Revolution 19th century Borki train disaster 20th century Tunguska explosion • World War I • Russian Revolution • Palmer Raids • World War II • Philadelphia Project • Assassination of John F. Kennedy 21st century Great Purge • DIA satellite accident