Carlo Grimaldi (1445-14 September 1485) was a politician of the Republic of Venice who sat on the Council of Ten under Doge Giovanni Mocenigo. He was disliked by the Doge, but he was close enough to him to be considered one of his own; he was responsible for the poisoning of the Doge in September 1485. However, Grimaldi was executed before he could possibly be elected as the next Doge of Venice.
Biography[]
Gaining Influence[]
Carlo Grimaldi warns Emilio Barbarigo
Grimaldi was a Monagasque man of the House of Grimaldi who was appointed to the Council of Ten after helping Ignazio Contarini with a problem about his daughter marrying the son of a servant. Grimaldi's role in the Council of Ten was backed by the Knights Templar, who used him and the House of Barbarigo as puppets in controlling Italy. He got to know Doge Giovanni Mocenigo, who was the leader of the Republic, and Grimaldi quickly gained influence in politics.
Death of Emilio Barbarigo[]
In 1485, he became aware of the presence of the Hashshashin in Venice after many mysterious murders and occurrences, and he headed to Palazzo della Seta to warn Emilio Barbarigo of the threat. Grimaldi told him that his house of cards was crumbling, and warned him that Seta was the next target; Barbarigo reassured him that Seta was a fortress. Barbarigo told him that he would meet him at Campo San Stefano along with the other Templars, and Grimaldi said that he would if he was still alive. He left with his troops, and shortly after, Barbarigo was duly assassinated by Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Seta was conquered by the Venetian Thieves' Guild.
San Stefano[]
Carlo Grimaldi met with State Inquisitor Silvio Barbarigo in Venice, overheard by a tailing Ezio. He reported that he needed more time to convince Doge Giovanni Mocenigo to give his aid to the Knights Templar, and he was insulted by Silvio, who claimed that Mocenigo disliked Grimaldi because he was a "sycophant", a "doormat", and a "boot-licker". When they arrived to the meeting with Marco Barbarigo, Marco told them that Emilio was dead and that there was no time, and that the Doge would have to be killed. He was to take Silvio's cantarella arsenic poison and place it on the Doge's meal so that he would die without any evidence.
Murdering the Doge[]
Grimaldi's death
The assassin Ezio Auditore landed the on the roof of the Palazzo Ducale by using one of Leonardo da Vinci's "flying machines", letting it fly into the ocean as it took a few guards with it. The Doge was alerted, but Grimaldi assured him that it was just kids with firecrackers. Ezio snuck past the guards on the roof and arrived in the room where Grimaldi and the Doge were drinking and playing chess, but the Doge drank the poison and Grimaldi informed Ezio that the Doge was already dying. Grimaldi proceeded to escape, claiming that Ezio had killed the Doge. Ezio chased Grimadi in the courtyard and jumped at him, pinning him to the floor and stabbing him in the back of the head.