Language policy in Italy: the role of national institutions

This paper sets the role of the institutions that deal with the Italian language in Italy within the framework of the country’s language policy. The long history of the Italian language requires us to detail the cultural and linguistic background against which the positions attributable to the politics of the country are set today, so the paper opens with a look at the recent history of Italian language politics (1). This is followed by a reflection on the most relevant current issues of present-day language policy (2) and a description of the role played by some of the universities, by the Italian Dante Alighieri Society (2.1), and by the Accademia della Crusca (2.2).