Italian belongs to the Romance language family and developed from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. It is the official language of Italy, Switzerland (alongside German and French), San Marino and the Vatican City State. Italian is known for its musical sound structure, clear pronunciation and rich literary tradition. The Italian language has had a worldwide influence, particularly in music, art and gastronomy. It is characterized by a relatively regular grammar and a strong wealth of regional dialects, with today's standard Italian being based on the Tuscan dialect.