Was the Italian language spoken at time?

The answer depends on what you mean by "the Italian language."

* A standardized, written Italian language: No, a standardized, written Italian language did not exist in the way we know it today.

* A common language spoken in Italy: Yes, but it wasn't a single, unified language. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Italy was divided into various city-states and regions, each with its own dialect. While these dialects were mutually intelligible to some extent, they were distinct enough to be considered separate languages.

So, while Italian wasn't a single, standardized language, various dialects and languages were spoken throughout the Italian peninsula. This is similar to the situation in Spain today, where Castilian is the official language, but various regional languages like Catalan, Basque, and Galician are also spoken.

The standardization of the Italian language occurred over time. The Florentine dialect, particularly as used by Dante Alighieri in his work *The Divine Comedy,* became increasingly influential and eventually formed the basis for the modern standard Italian language.