Where did the word "Italy" even come from?
There's definitely more room for further responses, but there's some good previous responses to similar questions which should provide a good start in understanding the answers to your questions, including:
/u/BaffledPlato answering the question When did people of the former Roman Empire cease to consider themselves "Roman?"
/u/HatMaster12 answering the question Why did a vernacular Italian language develop over a continued use of Latin?; and
/u/bitparity answering the question Did "Italians" in the early middle ages still think of themselves as Roman?
Hope that helps!