▁were ▁to ▁be ▁recognized ▁only ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁including ▁the ▁Sloven e - spe aking ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁U d ine ▁and ▁the ▁German ic ▁populations ▁( W al ser , ▁Mo chen i ▁and ▁C imb ri ) ▁res iding ▁in ▁provinces ▁different ▁from ▁Bol z ano . ▁Some ▁now - recogn ized ▁minor ity ▁groups , ▁namely ▁in ▁Fri uli - V enez ia ▁Giul ia ▁and ▁S ardin ia , ▁already ▁provided ▁themselves ▁with ▁regional ▁laws ▁of ▁their ▁own . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁estimated ▁that ▁less ▁than ▁ 4 0 0 . 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁million ▁people ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁twelve ▁historical ▁minor ities ▁( with ▁S ardin ian ▁being ▁the ▁numer ically ▁biggest ▁one ), ▁enjoyed ▁state - wide ▁protection . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁Italian ▁Parliament ▁eventually ▁resolved ▁to ▁apply ▁the ▁previously ▁neglect ed ▁article ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁fundamental ▁Char ter . ▁The ▁Parliament ▁thus ▁appointed ▁a ▁" Com mit te e ▁of ▁three ▁S ages " ▁to ▁single ▁out ▁the ▁groups ▁that ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁recognized ▁as ▁lingu istic ▁minor ities , ▁and ▁further ▁elaborate ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁their ▁inclusion . ▁The ▁nominated ▁people ▁were ▁Tul lio ▁de ▁Mau ro , ▁Gi ovan ▁Batt ista ▁P elle gr ini ▁and ▁Aless andro ▁P izz orus so , ▁three ▁notable ▁figures ▁who ▁distinguished ▁themselves ▁with ▁their ▁life - long ▁activity ▁of ▁research ▁in ▁the ▁field