Florence is the main setting for Ezio's early story in Assassin's Creed II.
The game opens in Florence in 1476, where Ezio Auditore da Firenze is introduced as a young nobleman. The city establishes his family background, his relationships, and the political world that is transformed by the execution of his father and brothers. Ezio's quest for answers leads him into the Assassin conflict.
Florence is not the only major location in Assassin's Creed II. The story later takes Ezio to Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Forlì, Venice, and the Vatican City. Venice receives a particularly large portion of the later game, which can cause players to remember it as the opening setting.
Florence was a major Renaissance center and is represented through landmarks such as the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and the Palazzo della Signoria. The game combines real historical figures, including Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo de' Medici, with its fictional Assassin and Templar narrative.