Moving on to Assassin's Creed II, which is set in Italy at the time of the Renaissance in the fourteenth century. Here we find the assassin Ezio facing off against the Templars, who are led by the corrupt Pope Rodrigo Borgia. Rodrigo is not only Pope, but also the head of the Templars, and his papacy is one based on the tenants of corruption and violence.
Yet again, when we look at the history of the time, there was a Pope called Rodrigo Borgia whose papacy began in 1492. History tells us that the real-life Rodrigo was just as bad as his in-game counterpart.
The real Rodrigo was said to have bought the papacy with bribery and vote corruption, and as soon as he took office, he began elevating his family to positions of power (or, if no such position existed, creating it for them). Rodrigo's time as Pope was spent (according to his enemies) murdering rivals, promoting war across Europe, and siding with anyone who could help him consolidate his power. At one time, the King of France invaded Rome determined to bring the papal authority down, but Rodrigo gave a cardinalship to a man who had the King's ear and brought the matter to a peaceful conclusion.
So, Rodrigo's reign as one of history's worst Popes continued until, in 1503, at the age of 72, he dropped dead. Poison was suspected but never proved, though if it was used, it was a fitting end to a man who history would have us believe was more violent and corrupt than even his video game counterpart.
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