In Assassin's Creed II, Florence is Ezio Auditore's home city at the start of the game.
The story opens in Florence in 1476, during the Italian Renaissance. Ezio is introduced as a young Florentine nobleman whose family lives in the city before a political betrayal changes his life. Florence therefore serves as both his birthplace and the starting point for his transformation into an Assassin.
The game later takes Ezio to other Italian locations, including Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Forlì, Venice, and Rome. This can cause confusion because Venice becomes one of the game's most important and memorable settings, but it is not Ezio's initial home.
Florence was a major center of Renaissance art, banking, politics, and learning. The game uses recognizable landmarks and urban spaces inspired by the real city, including the Palazzo della Signoria and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. Its historical setting is one reason Assassin's Creed II is often associated with Renaissance Italy.