Mario Auditore (1434-2 January 1500) was a Tuscan condotierro and the ruler of Monteriggioni from 1454 to 1500 in his death at the Fall of Monteriggioni. He was also a member of the Assassins Order and fought the Borgia.
Biography[]
Early life[]
One of several important condottieri patrolling the Tuscan countryside, Mario Auditore was a born leader. He began his military career as a six-year-old, when he played a significant role in the Florentine and Milanese conflict at the Battle of Anghiari. While on an expedition to Monterchi with his father, he alerted the Florentine general Micheletto Attendolo to the appearance of several dust clouds over the road which signalled a surprise advance by Milanese troops. Thanks to Mario, the Milanese attack was foiled and the Florentines won the battle.
Although Mario sided with Florence during Anghiari, for most of his career he defended the interests of his hometown Monteriggioni, derailing Florentine attempts to seize Tuscan territory. While Mario's younger brother, Giovanni, moved to Florence in 1454 to pursue a career in banking, Mario stayed at the family's villa in Monteriggioni, stating in a letter to Giovanni that he "preferred fighting like a man, to filling out balance sheets".
Pazzi Conspiracy[]
Auditore in 1476
In 1476, he met with his nephew Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who brought him news of his father's death. Mario decided to train him in combat to become a true member of the Assassins Order, but Ezio angered Mario by saying that he would sail for Spain, insulting his heritage. Mario rode for San Gimignano to slay family enemy Vieri de Pazzi, who was one of the collaborators in the Auditore executions. A regretful Ezio decided to ride to join him.
He planned to attack the south gate, which was lightly defended due to the large size of San Gimignano, and he was joined by Ezio in the assassination. As his mercenaries stormed the gates, Ezio struck down Pazzi. With Vieri's death, the conspiracy against the Auditores was dealt a strong blow, and Tuscany grew quiet once more. He agreed with Ezio that Francesco de Pazzi should be next to die. However, he wanted to show him Altair Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex and a secret room containing the statues of many past Assassins, laid forth by his great-grandfather.
Later, after a Templar plot to kill Lorenzo de Medici failed, Mario helped Ezio in tracking down the Pazzi Conspiracy members, killing the last of them. In 1488, years later, he helped his nephew in taking the Apple of Eden from Rodrigo Borgia in Venice, and was present at his official induction into the Hashshashin Order. Auditre also helped him to decode the Codex in order to find the location of the Vault, and Ezio found out that the Vault was in Rome. He helped Ezio escape from Rome in 1498, and they returned to Monteriggioni. He noticed that his father upgraded the fortress to have cannons, and his men were trained in their use.
Death[]
On 1 January 1500, Borgia's armies were on the move again, and Auditore was surprised by Cesare Borgia's army at Monteriggioni itself. The Borgia suffered heavy losses, but Auditore was wounded in the action. He collapsed at the gates, where he was confronted by Cesare Borgia, Baron Octavian de Valois, and Lucrezia Borgia. Cesare shot him in the head with a pistol, and took the Apple of Eden from him.