Lombardy, Italy

Location

It is located in the northern part of Italy. It is bordered on the north of Switzerland and

by the Italian regioni of Emilia-Romagna (south), Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto (east)

and Piedmont (west)

Lombardy consists of the provincie of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi,

Mantova, Milano, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese,

The capital is Milan.

Lombardy has the largest population of any Italian region, though it covers less than one-tenth (1/10) of the country's area.

It is also the leading industrial, agricultural and commercial region of Italy.

Milan, the chief city, is one of the largest industrial centres of Italy.

Festivals

Open Jazz (Mantua): One of many music festivals in Varese, this one features jazz and other styles of music, and includes a charitable auction

Chicco Ostiglia (Mantua): Chefs compete to produce the best rice dishes at this Rice Festival. A celebrity from the world of cooking judges the winner. Tours of the rice road are also arranged

Millemiglia (Brescia): This vintage car rally is held annually in May. It involves a two-day race to Rome and back again

Milan Fashion Week: Fashion event where the new seasonal lines are unveiled and the city plays host to many international celebrities and models. Admittance is by invitation only

Festa del Naviglio: Summer celebration with torchlight processions, music, markets, crafts, street artists and sporting events

Sagra di San Cristoforo: Held in June, Saint Christopher's day is marked with music, dancing and firework displays on the banks of the river

Folklore Festival (Lecco): An October festival, where the local people dress in traditional costumes and parade in the streets

Famous Places

Duomo di Milano

The Cathedral was founded, according to tradition, in 1386, commissioned by the archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo (1386). Initially it had to follow a volumetric and architectonic project in typical Lombard-Gothic style, made of terracotta and with a modest vertical development.

Pinacoteca di Brera

Cristo Morto

Santa Maria della Grazie

L'Ultima Cena

So much artistic wealth should not overshadow the nearby towns in the province, which also boast artistic treasures: castles villas, abbeys, and palaces.

One of the most important is Monza with its Villa Reale, its park and its Cathedral.

Royal Villa of Monza

Famous Cuisines

Lombardy’s food specialties range from delicious saffron risotto and the breadcrumbed cutlet cotoletta alla Milanese, to the consommé of Pavia with its egg accompaniment and a pork and cabbage cassoulet.

Lombardy’s food specialties range from delicious saffron risotto and the breadcrumbed cutlet cotoletta alla Milanese, to the consommé of Pavia with its egg accompaniment and a pork and cabbage cassoulet.

Saffron Risotto

Cotoletta alla Milanese

While Lombardy is not a coastal region and seafood does not contribute as heavily to Lombard cuisine as fish and shellfish do in southern Italy, fish is still a key part of the Lombard diet.

The Lombardy region is best known for its dairy products, including the region's world-famous gorgonzola cheese. The other famous cheeses of the region include the creamy mascarpone (used in the popular Italian dessert tiramisu), Robiola, Bel Paese; Taleggio.

Gorgonzola Cheese.

Famous People from Lombardy

Leonardo da Vinci

Alessandro ManzoniManzoni wrote "The

Fincancés", which is the most significant Italian novel, as well as dramas and lyrics. His house at the Piazza Belgioioso is open for visitors.

Sources:

http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/lombardy.htmlhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/346728/Lombardyhttp://www.italytraveller.com/en/r/lombardyhttp://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/lombardy.htmlhttp://www.aboutmilan.com/milanese-famous-people.html