Ezio holds the Apple and does not use it. The wisdom that the Piece of Eden could provide — the Isu's knowledge, the overview of human possibility — is not wisdom in the sense that matters. It is data, which is different. Wisdom is what Ezio has built through the choices of the playthrough: the knowledge of what the blade is for, when to use it, what it costs, what it serves. The Apple offers the appearance of that knowledge without its substance. He puts it down. The game has been building toward this single gesture since Part 1.