Italian is the official language. There is the standard Italian, and there are dialects spoken in different regions. Standard Italian is most similar to Latin in terms of vocabulary (Latin was used by the Romans and was once used widely in Europe).
Italy used to have many dialects before the present standard Italian language was adopted. This language was influenced heavily by the Tuscan dialect starting from the 14th century because of the central position of Tuscany in Italy and because its city, Florence, had become an important centre of commerce. The unification of Italy in 1861 gave impetus to a unified language and hence the language spoken by Tuscans modified by organic changes was adopted throughout the country. Now all school children learn the standard Italian. Regional dialects include Venetian, Umbrian and Pugliese.
