In Assassin's Creed II, Florence is Ezio Auditore's birthplace and an important early setting.
The game begins in 15th-century Florence, where Ezio grows up as the son of banker Giovanni Auditore. After Giovanni and Ezio's brothers are executed, Ezio's life changes from that of a young Florentine nobleman to an Assassin seeking justice. Florence therefore serves both as his home and as the place where the story establishes his family, allies, and enemies.
The city is one of several major Italian locations in the game. Players later visit Venice, Forlì, San Gimignano, and the countryside surrounding Monteriggioni. Florence is especially associated with the Auditore family and with Ezio's first steps into the Assassin Brotherhood.
The game uses historical figures and places, but it is fictionalized. Its Renaissance setting should not be confused with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, which focuses primarily on Rome, or Revelations, which is centered on Constantinople.