The Region of Lombardy

Anyone happening to visit Milan, even just for a day, cannot fail to be struck by the sight of that masterpiece in white stone in the heart of the city – the immense cathedral, with its lively throng of sculpted saints and prophets and biblical scenes, figures and decorations, dressed entirely in Candoglia marble, generally referred to as the Duomo. Framed in spires and flying buttresses, the terraced roof is paved in marble. The dimensions, rich decoration and complex history make it truly spectacular. It is 158 metres long and 108 tall to its highest spire; is adorned with more than 3,500 statues; and needed almost six centuries for it to be completely finished. On top of the highest spire stands the golden statue of the Madonnina with her arms open wide to invoke the blessing of God upon the city. The area around the Duomo is also a favourite place for shopping and strolling, for instance through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, with its lively bookshops and famous, well-frequented restaurants. The best shops for clothes and accessories are to be found under the arcades of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and in Piazza San Babila.
The Brera area is only a few minutes away from Piazza del Duomo, with its characteristic little streets and lanes opening onto small-scale piazzas. This is an attractive, intimate district, famous in the past as a focal point for artists, and well-known today for the up-to-date shops and bars that create such a lively atmosphere. Renowned throughout the world is the Brera Art Gallery. It was created two centuries ago when Napoleon was King of Italy, and houses more than a thousand paintings, fundamental for the history of Italian art, including works ranging from Mantegna and Piero della Francesca to Raphael and Caravaggio. Gallery number 24, with three great works of the Renaissance, has to be seen, and so too are the space dedicated to Caravaggio and the four Napoleonic rooms. To reach the grand staircase leading to the entrance, the visitor has to pass through a state courtyard under the gaze of a bronze Napoleon sculpted by Antonio Canova with the body of a Greek athlete - more a representation of the historical stature of the man than of his actual physique. Monza Park, a few minutes from the city and near to the famous Formula One racetrack, was also a creation of Napoleon’s. Its gardens present a rich variety of botanical species, with trees of exceptional dimensions, while the neoclassical Villa Reale, the Royal Villa, is on a similarly grand scale, with about 600 rooms.
Mantua is the city of the Gonzagas. From 1378 onwards this family provided the enlightened dukes that ruled the city, adorning it with works of art entrusted to the greatest artists of the Renaissance. Castellaro Lagusello is a small, fortified mediaeval township, fascinating to visit. It is contained within a splendid natural oasis: the waves of the Lagusello Lake, a tiny heart-shaped stretch of water, smooth as a mirror, lap against its walls. At Mantua, as at Pavia, the countryside is covered with the typical, extensive rice fields. Hence the gastronomic specialities are logically bean risotto, pumpkin risotto and also goose. In the Province of Pavia stands the Castle of Vigevano, a luxurious state residence, used also as a pleasure palace for receptions, parties and banquets. Even the King of France, Charles VIII, one of the most powerful and feared men of his time, stayed there. A sumptuous anti-chamber to the castle is provided by the stupendous Piazza Ducale, dominated by the Tower of Bramante.
Meanwhile, the Naviglio Pavese, the historic “Pavia Canal” between Milan and the Ticino River, offers nature lovers a cycling track 12 kilometres long, deep in the countryside, past farmsteads, old mills and artistic masterpieces. Just as tranquil and full of fascination is the Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore, with its romantic Lungolago di Luino, the Luino Lakeside Promenade. The picturesque Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso Ballaro, the Hermitage of St. Catherine, clings to the Ballaro Cliff that plunges sheer into the lake.
Lake Garda too offers sites of great beauty: Sirmione with the Rocca Scaligera, the Scaliger Castle, whose towers and crenallated walls are entirely surrounded by water; Gardone Riviera with the Vittoriale, the estate (“Shrine of Italian Victories”) that was the residence of the writer D’Annunzio; Desenzano, celebrated by Stendhal and Byron, Carducci and Kafka.
Another fascinating artistic city is Bergamo: its Upper City, situated on the hilltop, is rich in churches and palaces with towers and steeples pointing to the sky. The 16th-century walls trace the city limits and offer a relaxing stroll with fine views down onto the Lower City. In Bergamask cuisine, pride of place goes to polenta, and then to the tasty “strangolapreti”, the spinach and herb gnocchi-like pasta known as “priest-chokers”.
Chavenna too, in the Province of Sondrio, has an ancient mediaeval town centre framed by frescoed palaces and rusticated gateways, with aristocratic coats of arms and masks. The dominant colour is the grey of the ollare stone.
Lombardy is also rich in splendid valleys dominated by the Alps. The Tonale Pass and the Adamello Glaciers offer kilometres of pistes in a unique setting, with plenty of regional specialities to savour, such as the Gorgonzola, Provolone, Grana Padana and Taleggio cheeses, pizzocheri (the golden buckwheat flour noodles), and the traditional main courses (risotto milanese style, ossobuco (marrow-bone) and cotoletta alla milanese (breadcrumbed veal).

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