The Italian Language

There was an Italian language much before there was a unified Italy and it was in part this common heritage that was the driving force behind the unification of the various kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies and other units that constituted the Italian peninsula. This division is still reflected in present-day Italy, which is divided into regions, some of which virtually correspond to the old foreign borders, other which reflect older divisions. Before the advent of universal education only the higher classes could speak "Italian", while the common people spoke Milanese, Venetian, Lucanian, Sicilian and so forth.

Italians tend still to be somewhat nationalistic. The definition "Italian" is used as opposed to foreigner, while in Italy they will define themselves as Tuscan, Florentine, Milanese, Venetian or Sicilian.

I remember seeing some flags in a small town somewhere in Italy: these were the flags of the city, of the region and of the EU. There was no Italian flag present.

In a leaflet published by the City of Florence about the public services offered in town I only found the word Italy or Italian when it spoke of the Italian Automobile Club!