Lombardy, a region located in the northeast of the Italian peninsula, is bordered by Switzerland to the north, Emilia Romagna to the south, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige to the east and Piedmont to the west. It is a privileged region with mountains, plains and four of the most important lakes in Italy. It is located on the plain of the Po River, its meadows are ideal for growing cereals, vegetables and grazing. Lombardy is divided into eleven provinces. Milan is a cosmopolitan city, administrative capital of the region as well as the world capital of fashion and design.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Milan, capital of the region, holds extraordinary architectural and artistic jewels such as the Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy, the Vitorio Emanuelle Gallery, the Brera Palace, which houses an important collection of works of art by Caravaggio and Veronese, among others, as well as the Sforzesco Castle and the Teatro alla Scala, one of the largest and most prestigious in the world. Lombardy has an impressive artistic-cultural heritage distributed among its eleven provincial capitals; Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Crema, Como, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Varese and Sondrio.
WHAT TO EAT AS A LOCAL
Lombardy, region also called the “granary of Italy” for being the main supplier of cereals (wheat, rice and corn). Lombardy’s cuisine is mainly composed of meat, dairy products and cereals such as rice, risotto and polenta are an important part of the regional gastronomy. The meat in Lombardy is exquisite, its most representative dishes are; the cassoeula, and the ossobuco (meat stewed with wine and spices), it also offers a great variety of stuffed pastas such as; tortellini and ravioli. It is customary to eat cheese for dessert, either a Robiola or the highly appreciated Grana Padano. Among the most appreciated Lombard wines by connoisseurs is the famous and exquisite Franciacorta.