Ezio begins his story in Florence in Assassin’s Creed II.
Florence is the opening major setting for the game and introduces Ezio as a young member of the Auditore family. The city’s political rivalries, merchant culture, architecture, and powerful families establish the Renaissance atmosphere that shapes the early chapters.
Ezio’s personal tragedy occurs after these introductory sequences, pushing him toward the Assassin Brotherhood. Florence remains important as he returns to it during the wider conspiracy, even after the story expands to other Italian cities.
Venice is another major setting in Assassin’s Creed II and receives substantial attention later in the campaign. Rome is especially associated with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, while Forlì is one of several locations visited during Ezio’s broader journey. These neighboring settings can make the opening city easy to misremember.