Lombardy takes you to the Lombardy region on the northern part of Italy. It covers 23,844 sq km (9,206 sq mi) and has a population of 10 million people (2012 estimate). Its capital and biggest city is Milan.
Lombardy has an Alpine zone that includes the Lepontine Alps, Rhaetian Alps, Bergamo Alp, Ortler Alps and the Adamello massif. One of the highest peaks here is Presolana (2,521 m). There are also a number of lakes including Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Lake Como, Lake Iseo, Lake Idro and Lake Garda.
Lombardy is the most populous and the second most densely populated region of Italy (after Campania).
The village of Brienno on the shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brienno.jpg Author: Fiore dod-Fiorenzo
Via Roma in Ceresara, province of Mantua, Lombardy, Italy Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceresara_Via_Roma.jpg Author: Massimo Telò
Languages of Lombardy
Apart from standard Italian, the people in Lombardy also speak a variety of dialects including the Western Lombard and Eastern Lombard dialects and the Emilian dialects. Some 27% of the inhabitants are able to speak Italian as well as one of the Lombard dialects.
History of Lombardy
The Lombardy area has supported human habitation for thousands of years, at least, to the second millennium BC. The area was invaded by Celtic tribes in the 5th century BC. Their expansion south was checked by the Roman expanding north from the 3rd century BC. After centuries of fighting, Lombardy came under Roman rule in 194 BC.
The decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century brought a series of invading tribes to fill the vacuum. The most effective of these were the Lombards, who gave the region its name. They ruled until AD 774, when Charlemagne brought it into his empire. In 1525, Lombardy came under Spanish rule following the Battle of Pavia. It was also ruled by France and Austria before becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.
Teatro Grande in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Teatro_Grande_(Sala).jpg Author: Okkiproject
Economy of Lombardy
Lombardy is the wealthiest region in Italy, producing one-fifth of its GDP. The per capita GDP is 25% above the national average. Its capital Milan is the home of major brands of Italian fashion including Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Valentino and Versace, to name a few.
Cuisine of Lombardy
Lombardy dishes often make use of rice, whether in soup or in risotti. It also produces several different types of cheese.
Lombardy on the map
Motorways in Lombardy radiates out of its capital, Milan. They include the A1, A4 and A7. The city also has a major international airport receiving flights from all over Europe as well as major cities across the world.
Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
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