The Italian language, also known as Italian, is a Romance language mainly spoken in Italy. It is one of the most important languages in the world, spoken by approximately 60 million people as their first language and by many others as a second language. Italian originated from Vulgar Latin and is closely related to other Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Italian is characterized by its melodic tone, diversity of dialects, and rich literary tradition, including works by authors like Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.