▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Regional ▁Italian ▁( ital iano ▁region ale ). ▁ ▁Tw elve ▁languages ▁have ▁been ▁leg ally ▁granted ▁official ▁recognition ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁but ▁their ▁selection ▁to ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁others ▁is ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁some ▁controvers y . ▁Dan iele ▁Bon am ore ▁arg ues ▁that ▁many ▁regional ▁languages ▁were ▁not ▁recognized ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁their ▁communities ' ▁historical ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁language : ▁Gia como ▁da ▁L ent ini ' s ▁and ▁C iel o ▁d ' Al c amo ' s ▁Sic ilian , ▁Gu ido ▁Gu in iz elli ' s ▁Bolog n ese , ▁Jac op one ▁da ▁Tod i ' s ▁Um b rian , ▁Ne ap ol itan , ▁Carlo ▁Gold oni ' s ▁Ven et ian ▁and ▁D ante ' s ▁T us can ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁historical ▁found ers ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁lingu istic ▁majority ; ▁outside ▁of ▁such ▁ep ic ent ers ▁are , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁Fri ul ian , ▁Lad in , ▁S ardin ian , ▁Franco - Pro ven ç al ▁and ▁Occ itan , ▁which ▁are ▁recognized ▁as ▁distinct ▁languages . ▁M iche le ▁Sal azar ▁found ▁Bon am ore ' s ▁explanation ▁" new ▁and ▁convin cing ". ▁ ▁Leg al ▁status ▁of ▁Italian ▁The ▁original ▁Italian ▁Constitution ▁does ▁not ▁explicitly ▁express ▁that ▁Italian ▁is ▁the ▁official ▁national ▁language . ▁Since ▁the ▁constitution ▁was ▁p enn ed , ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁some ▁laws ▁and