Lombardy
Lombardy (
Italian:
Lombardia;
Lombard:
Lumbardìa) is a region in
northern Italy between the
Alps and the
Po river valley. It borders the Italian regions of
Piedmont,
Emilia-Romagna,
Veneto and
Trentino-South Tyrol, as well as
Switzerland.
One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy. Its capital is
Milan, the largest city in Northern Italy. The current president of Lombardy is
Roberto Formigoni.
Pirelli Tower, the highest skyscraper in Italy (127 m), is the seat of Lombardy's regional government.
Lombardy is one of the engines of the global economy with a
GDP calculated by
ISTAT at €400
billion. The region is one of the three richest regions in
Europe, with a per capita
gross domestic product that is 50 percent higher than the rest of Italy. In fact the latest Eurostat figures shows that Lombardy in 2003 had the highest GDP for a region in the whole of the EU. Many foreign and national companies have their headquarters in Milan, and Lombardy is home to many top-rated clubs in
football,
rugby,
ice hockey and
basketball.
The region is named for the
Lombards, or Longobardi, who came after the fall of the (western)
Roman Empire around 570s.
The
Lombards spoke a Germanic language akin to Anglo-Saxon, which may or may not have been its own language at all. There was a close relationship between the
Frankish,
Bavarian and Lombard nobility for many centuries.The name "Lombardy" applied to the whole of Northern Italy until the 15th century.
The region is divided into the following provinces, all named after their capital cities:
*
Bergamo*
Brescia (
weapon,
iron&
mechanic industries )
*
Como (
silk industries - Lake Como)
*
Cremona*
Lecco *
Lodi*
Mantova*
Milano*
Monza e Brianza (effective in 2009) (furniture industries)
*
Pavia (one of the most ancient
universities)
*
Sondrio (Valtellina)
*
Varese (
shoes industries)
 |
Lombardy's official logo. |
Its twelve provinces are subdivided into a total of 1,562
communes, ranging in population from Milan (1,256,211) to Morterone, near
Lake Como, with only 33 inhabitants (2001 census).
*
Milan 1,256,211
*
Brescia 187,567
*
Monza 120,204
*
Bergamo 113,143
*
Varese 80,511
*
Sesto San Giovanni 78,850
*
Como 78,680
*
Busto Arsizio 75,916
*
Cinisello Balsamo 72,050
*
Pavia 71,214
*
Cremona 70,887
*
Vigevano 57,450
*
Legnano 53,797
*
Rho 50,246
Airports
There are four main airports in Lombardy:
*
Milan-Malpensa Int.l Airport (MXP)
*
Milan-Linate Airport (LIN)
*
Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport (BGY)
*Brescia Montichiari (VBS)
Milan's two airports are considered the most crowded Italian hub with more than 30 million passengers a year.
Railway service
|
Lombardy's railway services (S-R Lines). |
The
Suburban Railway Service (called "
S" Lines, the service is similar to the
French RER and
German S-Bahn), composed of 8 commuter rail lines (10 as of
2008), connects the Milan Metropolitan Area ("Great Milan"), and other important cities, like Como or Varese.
The
Regional Railway Service (called "
R"), on the other hand, links the cities of Lombardy and connects the region with the national railway system.
Famous Lombards
*
Virgil*
Pliny the Elder*
Pliny the Younger*
Archbishop Ambrose*
Archbishop Ariberto*
Cesare Beccaria*
The Verri Brothers*
Alessandro Volta*
Carlo Cattaneo*
Alessandro Manzoni*
Gianni Brera*
Carlo Emilio Gadda*
Silvio Berlusconi*
Dario Fo*
Giorgio Gaber*
Adriano Celentano*
Giuseppe Terragni*
TheodolindaFood
*
Risotto alla milanese
*
Cotoletta alla milanese
* Osso buco
* Cassoeula
*
Panettone* Missoltini
* Polenta
*
Torrone*
Bresaola* Rane fritte
* Lumache in guazzetto
* Polenta taragna
*
Pizzoccheri* Sciat
*
Gorgonzola* Granone lodigiano
* Brasato
* Tapelucco
* Involtini di verza
* Trippa alla milanese
* Risotto alla vogherese
* Rostisciada
* Ravioli di brasato
* Pesce d'acqua dolce in carpione
* Olio d'oliva del Garda
Wines
* Inferno
* Sassella
* Sfursat
* Franciacorta Brut
* Franciacorta rosso
* Lugana
* Bonarda dell'Oltrepò
* Barbera dell'Oltrepò
* Moscato dell'Oltrepò
* San Colombano
Local language
*
Lombard languageGeneral information
*
Regione Lombardia - Official website
*
Map of LombardyProvinces
*
Provincia di Bergamo*
Provincia di Brescia*
Provincia di Como*
Provincia di Cremona*
Provincia di Lecco*
Provincia di Lodi*
Provincia di Mantova*
Provincia di Milano*
Provincia di Pavia*
Provincia di Varese*
Provincia di SondrioUniversities
*
Università degli Studi di Milano*
Università degli Studi Milano Bicocca (Milan-Monza)
*
Milan's Politecnic*
Università Bocconi (Milan)
*
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan)
*
Università degli Studi di Bergamo*
Università degli Studi di Brescia*
Università degli Studi di Mantova*
Università degli Studi di Pavia*
Università degli Studi dell'Insubria (Varese-Como)
