When did Italy start speaking Italian and not Latin?

Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire, which Italy was a part of. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Latin continued to be used as the language of the Catholic Church and the educated elite. However, over time, the various regional dialects of Latin spoken in different parts of Italy gradually evolved into distinct languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

The process of linguistic change from Latin to Italian was gradual and took place over several centuries. The earliest evidence of Italian dates back to the 9th century AD, and by the 14th century, Italian had become the dominant language of Italy. However, Latin continued to be used for religious and scholarly purposes until the 16th century.