Based on Petrarch 's works , and to a lesser extent those of Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio , Pietro Bembo in the 16th century created the model for the modern Italian language . In the 16th century , Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarch 's works , as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio and , especially , Dante Alighieri .