In Assassin's Creed II, Florence is Ezio Auditore's birthplace.
Ezio is born in Florence in 1459, and the city is the starting point for his transformation from a young nobleman into an Assassin. Early sequences introduce his family, rivalries, and the political tensions surrounding the Auditore household.
The game later takes Ezio to several other Italian locations, including Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Forlì, Venice, and the Vatican. Florence therefore is not the game's only setting, although it is the city most closely connected to Ezio's childhood and family origins.
Venice is a frequent wrong answer because it becomes one of the largest and most memorable locations in Assassin's Creed II. Monteriggioni is also important: it becomes the Auditore family's fortified base after Ezio leaves Florence.