Lombardy

... More >

pre-Alpine uplands, is one of Italy's most highly developed industrial regions (chemicals and pharmaceuticals, metal-working, car manufacture, engineering and light engineering, textiles, leather goods) as well as one of its most productive agricultural regions (corn, rice, maize, market gardening, fodder crops). The hill regions are mostly devoted to dairy and pastoral farming. Tourism makes a major contribution to the economy in the area around the beautiful Alpine lakes (lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda) and in the mountains (winter sports, climbing). The population is mainly concentrated in the densely settled conurbations centered on Milan, Brescia, Pavia and Varese.

History

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire Lombardy (Langobardia) became in the seventh century the heartland of the Langobards or Lombards and in 951 a kingdom, with its capital at Pavia. The conflict between the Lombard League and the Hohenstaufen rulers of Germany in the 12th and 13th centuries led to the division of the Lombard towns between the Guelfs and Ghibellines, with a consequent internal decline and a splitting up from the kingdom. From the 14th century Milan established its dominance in western Lombardy, while Venice gained control of the eastern part of the territory. In 1535 Milan passed to the Spanish Habsburgs and in 1797, as the Cisalpine Republic, to France. The Congress of Vienna assigned Lombardy and Venetia to Austria as a Lombard-Venetian kingdom. Finally in 1859 Austria was compelled to cede Lombardy, and after 1866 Venetia as well, to the kingdom of Italy.

The tourist attractions of northern Italy include not only towns such as Milan, Pavia, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantova but also the Alpine lakes - lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore - with their beautiful scenery and favored climate.