Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City. The local dialects still reigned supreme until the unification of Italy in 1861, when the modern form of Tuscan became the official language. In fact, Italian is the Romance language that most closely resembles Latin.ĭuring the 15th and 16th centuries, the Tuscan dialect of the 14th century was codified as classical Italian. It began as a dialect in Tuscany or Florence, and it gained in popularity possibly either because of Tuscany’s central location, the importance of Florence as a key city of commerce, or the similarities between the Tuscan dialect and Latin. The first documents that were written in some form of Italian popped up in the 10th century, but Standard Italian didn’t begin developing until the 13th and 14th centuries. Italian, like Spanish, French, Romanian and Portuguese, is a Romance language rooted in Vulgar (“Common”) Latin. Keep reading to find out more! A Brief History Of The Italian Language Ever wondered just how many people speak Italian around the world? It’s found in more countries than you might think.