Italian written text first emerged during the 10 century AD. It appeared as simple notes within Latin texts, including poetry and legal documents. In the very early years there were no set rules for the “Italian written word” and the Italian people tended to write in their own regional dialect, which some still do to this day.
Several writers in Italy during the 13 century helped to make their own regional dialects popular among people. These writers included the famous Dante Alighieri who implemented the Tuscan of Florence, better known as la lingua Fiorentina, as the main language found in literature. This language was of dominant importance in literature, politics, and culture until the 16th century.
Through the years Latin was also used especially in scientific work. Over time the Latin words were omitted from the Italian language. While many dialects are still used in Italy the official language has evolved from the Tuscan dialect, which was first introduced by Dante Alighieri.
