The Dialogue of Languages (Dialogo delle lingue) is a Renaissance dialogue by the Italian humanist Sperone Speroni, first published in 1542. It is considered a key text in the history of Italian language and literature, and is one of the earliest works of literary criticism in any vernacular language. The dialogue is set in the gardens of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, and features a group of scholars and courtiers discussing the nature and future of the Italian language. The participants in the dialogue include Pietro Bembo, a leading advocate of the use of Tuscan as the standard literary language of Italy; Lazzaro Bonamico, a humanist and professor of Latin; Baldassarre Castiglione, the author of The Book of the Courtier; and Giano Lascaris, a Greek scholar. Each of the participants presents their own views on the Italian language, and the dialogue explores a wide range of topics, including the relationship between language and thought, the role of dialects, and the importance of education.