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Known as the "Lake District" (it is home to more than 15 lakes, including Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Iseo), Lombardy and the surrounding area is a vast territory with a variety of landscapes, which stretches from the Alps to the Po Valley and includes large industrial centres, cities of art and small villages rich in history. It is a vibrant land, mixing the modern and the antique, supported by a prestigious industry. It is also home to Milan, the world capital of design, fashion, the stock market and finance. The unique flavours and traditions of the Lake District tell of the historical periods and rulers that have marked the region down the ages.
Numerous archaeological finds reveal that Lombardy has been inhabited since ancient times.
With the Roman conquest, the territory was renamed Gallia Cisalpina, and its own language, laws and customs were imposed. During Roman rule, Milan, then known as Mediolanum, became the seat of the emperor. It was here that Constantine issued the famous Edict of Milan, decreeing freedom of worship for Christians.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Lombardy was invaded by various barbarian populations: the Lombards were undoubtedly the most important, to the point of inspiring the very name of the region.
At the request of the Pope, Charlemagne imprisoned Desiderius, king of the Lombards, marking the beginning of the reign of the Franks in Lombardy.
Between the 13th and 14th centuries, several Lombard cities came under the control of powerful families, such as the Gonzagas in Mantua and the Viscontis in Milan.
Several centuries of Spanish and Austrian domination followed, before the creation of the Kingdom of Savoy of Italy, and later the Italian Republic.
Brescia and the monastery of San Salvatore.
Cremona, the Renaissance city where the traditions of the Stradivarius violin makers live on.
Pavia, the city of a hundred towers, the Visconti castle and the university.
Varese and the gardens of the Estense Palace.
Sondrio and its Masegra castle.
Lecco, which owes its fame to the famous novel "The Betrothed" by Alessandro Manzoni.
Bergamo, home to the Accademia Carrara, one of Italy's largest art galleries, the Colleoni Chapel and the Teatro Donizetti, dedicated to Bergamo's famous citizens and renowned composers.
Lodi, the medieval town characterised by the arcades of Piazza della Vittoria, where the Duomo and the Municipal House stand.
Como and its beautiful villas, including Villa Olmo, a stately neoclassical building.
There are five UNESCO sites in the area: Mantua, Gonzaga and Sabbioneta, the "ideal city" of the Italian Renaissance; the Sacred Mountains, an itinerary dedicated to Varese and Ossuccio; the prehistoric rock paintings of Valcamonica; the Rhaetian Railway, which crosses the mountainous landscapes of Albula and Bernina; the 19th century industrial settlement of Crespi d'Adda and finally Milan, home to the beautiful church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where the fresco of the Last Supper was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region, is home to great architectural works such as the remarkable La Scala opera house, the famous stage of the opera world, the Castello Sforzesco and the monumental white marble cathedral dedicated to Maria nascente.
