Italy and Dante Alighieri

Società Dante Alighieri was founded in 1889 in Rome, shortly after the birth of Italy as a nation, to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture.

Before the Risorgimento*, only a small percentage of Italians were fluent in standard Italian. At the time of the founding of Società Dante Alighieri, many Italians were moving abroad, including to the United States. Most Italians who moved abroad spoke only regional dialects such as Sicilian, Venetian, and Neapolitan. Therefore, Società Dante Alighieri played a significant role in spreading standard Italian abroad.

(*) The 19th-century Italian national unification movement resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 and the incorporation of the Papal States in 1870.

More than a century later, Società Dante Alighieri has grown into a worldwide association with over 400 branches in 80 countries and more than 120,000 members.
In total, more than 8,700 Italian language courses and hundreds of events are held each year in local branches around the world.
There are more than 80 branches in Italy, covering nearly all regions.

Società Dante Alighieri in Tokyo

Nearly two decades ago, Società Dante Alighieri was established in Japan.
We engage in various activities focused on promoting Italian culture and language.