The standard Italian language is spoken by Italy's 57 million residents. It is also a minority language in Austria and Switzerland, as well as in Libya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, which were once Italian colonies. The modern Italian language that is spoken in Italy today developed in the 13th and 14th centuries. It arose out of Latin and the numerous dialects of the region, and was heavily influenced by the works of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. Those literary giants wrote mainly in the Florentine dialect, which evolved into the so-called "Standard Italian" that is recognized today as Italy's national language. In fact, Florence is the only Italian city today that does not have a distinct dialect separate from Standard Italian. In all other regions, it is common to hear dialects spoken, particularly among residents who have lived in the same town for generations. These dialects, vaguely similar to Italian but often unintelligible to people not born in the area, are living reminders of Italy's feudal past and the isolation of its various regions prior to unification.