Native language is called MOTHER LANGUAGE.

The struggle for language autonomy is one of the oldest and most enduring. Often it is at the root cause of SEPARATIST and LIBERATION MOVEMENTS.

From the other perspective, it is the number one target of OPPRESSION and REPRESSION.

Schools, books, radio-tv, and of course now the internet.

LANGUAGE creates UNITY  -- LANGUAGES (plur) create DIVISIONS.

Legend twin brothers ROMULUS and REMUS   (Faustolo)

Succession of kings (7 kings, some probably even existed).

ROMAN REPUBLIC 500 BCE  (509 BCE - 27 BCE -- from Republic to Empire)

753 BCE

MONARCHIC PERIOD

500 BCE

ROMAN REPUBLIC

REPUBLICAN SYMBOL

200 BCE

ITALY IS UNIFIED UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE APPROXIMATELY FROM 200 BCE UNTIL 476 CE

476 CE FALL OF ROME AND THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE

AFTER THIS DATE ITALY IS BROKEN UP INTO A GALAXY OF STATES, SOME AS SMALL AS A TOWN (CITY STATES)

IT WILL BE REUNIFIED ONLY IN 1861 BY THE SAVOY DYNASTY.

MAP OF THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS AND FRAGMENTATION OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE

AROUN 500 CE

ITALY IS FRAGMENTED INTO SEVERAL SMALL REGION-STATES

NORTHERN ITALY

THE REGIONAL STATES ARE FURTHER FRAGMENTED INTO SMALLER DOMINIONS, RUN BY LOCAL WARLORDS.

THE SMALLER STATES ARE LIKE FRANCHISES OF A BIG CORPORATION.

THEY ARE ALLIED AGAINST EXTERNAL COMPETITION, BUT THEY ALSO COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

PRESENT DAY ITALY

LINGUISTIC MAP

DIALECT FAMILIES

The map reveals the effects of the different substrata in the various regions.