Florence is the main Italian city setting in the opening chapters of Assassin's Creed II.
Ezio Auditore is introduced as a young Florentine nobleman, and the early story follows his family and personal life in Florence. The city serves as the setting for his first major missions, his introduction to Leonardo da Vinci, and his initial steps toward becoming an Assassin.
The game uses a fictionalized version of Renaissance Florence, combining recognizable landmarks with gameplay spaces designed for climbing, traversal, and missions. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly called the Duomo, is one of the city's prominent landmarks in the game.
Florence is not the only major city in Assassin's Creed II. Ezio later travels to Venice, Forlì, Monteriggioni, and other locations. Rome becomes especially important in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, while Venice is a major setting later in Assassin's Creed II. These distinctions help separate the games' city settings.