Lombardy

Lombardy
Location of Lombardy in Italy.
Region
Administration
Country	Italy
Capital	Milan
Language	Italian
Website	regione.lombardia.it
Location
Coordinates	45° 35′ 08″ North 9° 55′ 49″ East
Area	23,863
Borders	Switzerland  Italy Regions: Emilia-Romagna Piedmont Trentino-South Tyrol Veneto
Demographics
Population	10,072,498 inhabitants (in 2019)
Edit	see template • edit

Lombardy (in Lombard "Lombardia", pronounced Lumbardia, Lombardea, or Lumbardea) is an Italian region. Its capital is Milan. The President of the region is Attilio Fontana.

Lombardy is one of the Four Motors of Europe, accounting for 20% of Italy's GDP and home to one-sixth of the Italian population.

History

In the past, the term Lombardy referred to a much larger territory than today's, corresponding to a large part of Northern Italy.

Before the Roman Empire, Lombardy was inhabited by various peoples, primarily the Celts. With the arrival of the Romans, Northern Italy was called Cisalpine Gaul, meaning Gaul (land of the Celts) south of the Alps. Upon the collapse of the Empire, the Germanic Lombard people settled in this region (hence the name Langobardia and later Lombardy). These peoples quickly adopted the Latin language and culture, yet left significant elements of their own language and culture in the Lombard tradition.

In 1167, the free communes of Lombardy, led according to legend by Alberto da Giussano, fought at Legnano against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who sought to curtail their autonomy, and defeated him.

In 1395, the Duchy of Milan was founded, which would remain the most important Lombard state until its collapse, caused by the Napoleonic invasion. The territory of Milan encompassed all of present-day Lombardy, eastern Piedmont, the Canton of Ticino, northern Veneto, and parts of Emilia and Tuscany. The territory of the Duchy of Milan is known as Insubria.

After the Napoleonic invasion, around the year 1800, Lombardy and Veneto were united into a single kingdom under the control of the Austrian Empire. A strong sense of Italian federalism developed within the Kingdom, leading to its entry into the Kingdom of Italy. Not all patriots were happy with the centralist and monarchical form of government; for example, Carlo Cattaneo refused to take part in parliamentary activities so as not to swear allegiance to the King, and died in Switzerland, in Lugano.

It was only with the advent of the republic that some autonomy was granted to the regions, and Lombardy was officially established in 1970.

Geography

Division of Lombardy

Broadly speaking, Lombardy can be divided into two geographical parts: the Po Valley in the south, which includes Milan, Mantua, Cremona, and Pavia, and the Alpine region in the north, which includes Sondrio. Between the two regions lies a small hilly area where Bergamo, Brescia, Lecco, and Como are located. In the Oltrepò Pavese, there is a small portion of the Apennines. The only area belonging to the Italian Peninsula is that of Mantua.

Roughly speaking, Lombardy is divided equally between mountains (40.52%) and plains (47.2%). There is also 12.28% of hilly terrain.

Lakes

Panorama of Lake Como

Lombardy is home to the following lakes:

• Lake Garda, the largest in Italy
• Lake Maggiore
• Lake Como
• Lake Iseo
• Lake Lugano
• Lake Idro
• Lake Varese

Rivers

Lombardy has many rivers, the most important of which are:

• The Po, which divides several provinces
• The Adda, the longest river in Lombardy
• The Oglio
• The Ticino
• the Olona
• the Lambro
• the Serio
• the Brembo

Virtually all of Lombardy lies within the Po River basin, except for a few valleys in the north (such as that of Livigno) which are in the Rhine and Danube basins.

Economy

Lombardy is the wealthiest region in Italy, so much so that Milan is often referred to as the "economic capital." It is also one of the Four Engines of Europe—the regions that drive the European Union.

Lombardy has a GDP of over 300 billion euros, which is higher than that of Austria, for example. Lombardy manages to maintain a fiscal surplus, meaning that after paying for public services, it has money left over. This surplus averages 50 billion euros per year.

Lombardy's economy is developed across all sectors. The primary sector (agriculture and livestock) is widespread and advanced in the Po Valley area, while the secondary sector (industry) drives the Lombardy economy and is widespread throughout the region. The tertiary sector, on the other hand, is less widespread than in the rest of Italy, but it is highly specialized and efficient.

Famous industries and companies

• Fininvest owned by Silvio Berlusconi
• Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta
• Banca Mediolanum
• Edison, the company that brought electricity to Italy
• Esselunga, Italy's first supermarket
• Caproni, Italy's first aircraft manufacturer

Healthcare

Lombardy's healthcare system is generally considered one of the best in Europe, and the region is home to many centers of medical excellence, such as the European Institute of Oncology founded by Umberto Veronesi.

Transportation

Logo of the Lombardy Regional Railways

Lombardy's transportation hub is its capital, Milan, which has a suburban rail network consisting of 12 lines. Most of Lombardy's rail transportation is operated by Trenord. Northern Lombardy is also served by the suburban trains of Canton Ticino, and there is a dense network of regional trains connecting the region.

Lombardy has five subway lines: four in Milan and one in Brescia. The city of Bergamo has a light rail system, which is a very fast tram with traffic lights controlled by the tram, meaning the tram triggers the green light, and a track separate from the road used by vehicles.

Lombardy has three major airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Orio al Serio.

Politics

Lombardy is a region with ordinary status of the Italian Republic, although there are calls from many quarters for greater autonomy.

Like all Italian regions, Lombardy is organized under a semi-presidential system, in which the President—currently Attilio Fontana—is elected alongside the Regional Council, the body responsible for enacting Lombardy's laws. This body has a President, currently Alessandro Fermi, and two vice presidents. Decisions are made by the Regional Executive, that is, the group of regional ministers (assessors) led by the President.

In 2017, nearly 40% of Lombardy's residents voted in a referendum, alongside Veneto, to demand greater autonomy from the Italian government.

Lombardy is seen as a stronghold of the center-right: In fact, since 1995—that is, since citizens began directly electing the President—the center-right has governed the Region, with four terms under Roberto Formigoni and one under Roberto Maroni.

Culture

Language

The native language of Lombardy is Lombard, with small minorities speaking Piedmontese and Emilian.

However, due to the language policies of the Italian state, Italian is becoming increasingly widespread in Lombardy, especially among the younger generations.

Flag

Historically, the Lombard flag features a red cross on a white background, also known as the Cross of St. George or St. Ambrose. However, today the Rosa Camuna is used as an unofficial flag; this design was inspired by ancient cave engravings and created by the designer Bob Noorda.

The Cross, originally the flag of Milan, is now featured in the coats of arms of many municipalities that were part of the Lombard League, such as Alessandria, Vercelli, and Ivrea.

UNESCO Sites

Lombardy is the Italian region with the most UNESCO sites in Italy: nine.

• Rock Art of the Camonica Valley (Province of Brescia, 1979)
• Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Supper by Vinciano (Milan, 1980)
• Workers' Village of Crespi d'Adda (Province of Bergamo, 1995)
• Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy (Provinces of Varese and Como, 2003)
• Rhaetian Railway in the Albula and Bernina Landscape (Sondrio, 2008)
• Mantua and Sabbioneta (2008)
• Monte San Giorgio (Province of Varese, 2010)
• Pile dwellings of the Alpine arc (2011)
• Centers of power and worship in Lombard Italy (Varese and Brescia, 2011)

Religion

As in Italy, the most widespread religion is Catholicism.

The Lombardy Region is secular, but it positively recognizes religions in its statute.

The patron saint of Lombardy is Saint Ambrose, and a very popular saint who brings gifts to many Lombard provinces is Saint Lucy.

Cuisine

Lombard cuisine is similar to that of the rest of Northern Italy and Canton Ticino. Typical Lombard dishes include:

• Polenta
• Cassoeula, a cabbage soup
• Luganega
• Polenta e osei, a dessert made from wheat flour
• El Pan de Mej (Millet Bread)
• Torta di Pane
• Paccheri
• Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano

Festival

The Lombardy Regional Festival is held on May 29, in commemoration of Lombardy's victory in the Battle of Legnano.

References

Italy portal — Access the portal on Italy!

Europe Portal — All articles about countries in Europe, traditions, monuments, and more!

Geography portal — All articles on Geography.

Source : This page has been adapted from the page « Lombardia » on Vikidia in Italian. (Authors list)