Provinces of Lombardy
History - Antiquity
After the fall of the Roman empire the region was occupied first by the Goths and later by the Langobards (from the Old German langbärte, meaning lond beards) or Lombards, who established their capital at Pavia and gave their name to the region. In 774 the Lombards were defeated by the Franks, who introduced the feudal system.
History - the Middle Ages
History - Modern Times
During the Second War of Italian Independence the region was among the first to be annexed to Italy, in 1859, when the Milanese rose against the Austrians in the glorious "Five Days" and saluted the coming of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy. During World War Two, Milan was liberated by the Allies on 25 April 1945, which has since become the National liberation anniversary for Italy. Since then, Lombardy has become the commercial and financial engine of Italy, with Piazza Affari in Milan being the seat of the Italian stock market.
In the early 2020, Lombardy was hit tremendously in the coronavirus pandemic, the first area in Europe to experience an epidemic outbreak, with over 16,000 victims as of June 2020.
What to see
- Lombardy includes four World Heritage Sites:
- In Milan, the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci (see Unesco listing)
- Crespi d'Adda, and example of industrial archeology (see Unesco listing)
- The prehistoric Rock Drawings in Valcamonica (see Unesco listing)
- Two of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy (see Unesco listing), that is Sacro Monte del Rosario di Varese and Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, at Ossuccio, province of Como
Where to stay
- Hotels: Province Bergamo | Province Brescia | Province of Como | Province Cremona | Province of Lecco | Province of Lodi | Province Mantova | Province Milano | Province Monza-Brianza | Province Pavia | Province Sondrio | Province Varese
- Agritourism: Province Bergamo | Province Cremona | Province of Lecco | Province of Lodi
- Bed & Breakfast: Province Bergamo | Province Cremona | Province of Lecco | Province of Lodi.