More than ten years have passed since his last mission and in the meantime many new assassins have appeared, but there is nothing to be done: the favorite of the Assassin’s Creed community continues to be Ezio Auditore da Firenze . Today we delve into the genesis of this character by discovering his sources of inspiration.
Did Ezio really exist?
Let’s specify right away that, unlike many of the secondary characters he meets during his adventures, Ezio Auditore da Firenze is not inspired by any real historical figure . The same goes for all the members of the Auditore family , who were created specifically by Ubisoft for the video games in the series. Palazzo Auditore is also fictional, although it is believed that it was inspired by the real Palazzo Strozzi.
Who inspired Ezio Auditore da Firenze?
Although not inspired by a real historical figure, the authors of Ubisoft have followed a very specific path in the creation of Ezio, starting with his name, whose meaning is similar to that of Altair, the Assassin who preceded him in the series. Altair is an Arabic word that means eagle or bird, not by chance it is also used to indicate the brightest star in the Aquila constellation. Similarly, Ezio derives from the Greek Aetòs, which means, precisely, eagle .
The similarities with Altair stop at the name, however, since Ezio grew up very differently from the Syrian Assassin. The Florentine spent his youth in total tranquility, unaware of the existence of the Order of Assassins and the forces that have been opposing each other in the shadows for centuries, influencing the fate of humanity.
At the beginning of Assassin’s Creed 2 he hopes that his life will never change , but he is soon forced to face reality. When his father and brother are murdered, he is called to embrace the Order and all that comes with it. Over the course of the episodes of the series in which he is the protagonist, we see him grow and mature , going from a reckless youth to an expert Assassin, until he becomes a mentor to the Brotherhood.
More generally, the authors wanted to portray Ezio as a typical Renaissance man with open views and a constant search for the truth , and at the same time a lover of fun .
Speaking about him a few years after the launch of Assassin’s Creed 2, the Creative Director of the third chapter Alex Hutchinson compared Ezio to the Australian-American actor Errol Flynn , having been conceived as a womanizer and a bit of a show-off.
Even as he grew and matured over time, it must be admitted that Ezio never completely lost his heartthrob nature , having conquered numerous women such as Cristina Vespucci (Sandro Botticelli’s muse), Caterina Sforza (model for Lorenzo di Credi in The Lady of the Jasmine ), Lisa del Giocondo (yes, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa ) and finally Sofia Sartor (the protagonist of Albrecht Dürer’s Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman). His first meeting with Sofia
was iconic , and in the following years she would become his wife and mother of his children, Flavia and Marcello.
- Sofia: Who are you, Sir?
- Ezio Auditore: Only the most interesting man in your life!
- Sofia: Oh, how presumptuous!
Actor Errol Flynn, who built his fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood also thanks to his skills as a seducer, would certainly be proud of him!