|
A
prosperous region with fertile soil, a
temperate climate and, for the tourist,
the spectacular lakes Como, Garda,
Maggiore (shared with Piemonte)
and Lugano. As in Piemonte, the Po
Valley is the site of much heavy
industry. High mountains in the north,
marking Italy’s frontier with
Switzerland, provide excellent skiing
and climbing. Lombardia’s most famous
culinary inventions are minestrone
soup and osso buco –
literally ox knuckles.
Milan
Milan is
Italy’s most sophisticated city, a
financial and commercial centre of
world importance and a rival to Paris
in the spheres of modern art and
fashion. Its international character is
marked by a concentration of
skyscrapers found nowhere else in
Italy, contrasting and competing with
the landmarks of historic Milan, but
built in the same boastful spirit of
civic pride that, 500 years ago, gave
the city its splendid Gothic Duomo.
Even today, this is the world’s
second-largest church, yet despite its
size, it creates an impression of
delicate and ethereal beauty due to its
pale color and the fine intricate
carving that covers its exterior. The
whole fabric of the city – its many
palaces, piazzas and churches –
speaks of centuries of continuous
prosperity. The Castello Sforzesco,
in the west of the city, is a massive
fortified castle, begun by the
Viscontis and finished by the Sforzas.
It was the political and social bastion
of the ruling Sforzas during Milan’s
peak as a political/cultural centre and
many of the Renaissance elite were
entertained in its luxurious domains.
Its court artists included Leonardo da
Vinci and Bramante and it now houses a
number of museums. Leonardo da Vinci’s
famous fresco, The Last Supper, may
be viewed at the convent of Santa
Maria della Grazie. The Teatro
della Scala remains the undisputed
world capital of opera and is well
worth viewing for its magnificent
opulence.
Pavia
Just south of Milan is the town of Pavia,
the ancient capital known as ‘the city
of 100 towers’. One of these, the Torre Civica,
suddenly collapsed in 1989, killing four
people. The town also has many
interesting churches, including the
Renaissance Duomo,
thought to have been worked on by
Bramante and da Vinci, the Romanesque San
Michele, with an elaborately
carved facade; and the 12th-century San
Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, with a
magnificent 14th-century altarpiece. The Broletto,
Pavia’s medieval town hall, and the
14th-century Castello,
housing an art gallery, archaeology
museum and sculpture museum, are also
worth visiting. Though sedate and resting
in an air of dusty elegance by day, Pavia
bursts into life at night when its people
come out for their evening promenade and
the streets seem to buzz with activity.
The Certosa
di Pavia, 10km (6 miles) outside
of town, is a monastery famous for its
lavish design. Originating as the family
mausoleum of the Visconti family, it was
later finished by the Sforzas and became
the dwellings for a Carthusian order of
monks sworn to deep contemplation and for
whom speech is forbidden. However, a
chosen few are allowed to give visitors a
guided tour and tell the story behind
their palatial surroundings.
Cremona
The birthplace of the Stradivarius
violin, is a charming haven of historic
architecture. A walk around the medieval Piazza del Comune
offers various architectural treats: the Torazzo,
one of Italy’s tallest medieval towers;
the Duomo,
with its magnificent astrological clock;
and the Loggia dei Militia,
the former headquarters of the town’s
medieval army. There are also two
interesting museums: the Museo
Strativariano, housing a wealth of
Stradivarius musical instruments, and the Museo Civico,
with more Stadivari and some interesting
bits and pieces belonging to Garibaldi.
Mantua
was another Lombardia bastion of the
ruling dynasties of the Viscontis and
Sforzas. It is also the birthplace of a
number of renowned Italians, ranging
from Virgil (a statue of whom overlooks
the square facing the Broletto,
the medieval town hall) to Tazio Nuvolari, one of Italy’s most famous
racing drivers (for whom there is a
small museum dedicated to his
accomplishments). Its churches, Sant’Andrea
(designed by Alberti and the burial
place of Mantua’s famous court
painter, Mantegna) and the Baroque Duomo
in the Piazza Sordello are both
important works of architecture.
However, the most famous sites of
Mantua are its two palaces: the
Palazzo Ducale and the
Palazzo del Te. The Palazzo Ducale,
once the largest in Europe, was the
home of the Gonzagas family, and has a
number of impressive paintings by
artists such as Rubens and Mantegna.
The Palazzo del Te was built as a
Renaissance pleasure palace for
Frederico Gonzaga (known as a playboy)
and his mistress, Isabella. The
decorations by Giulio Romano are
outstanding and well worth viewing.
Bergamo
Bergamo ,
nestled at the foot of the
Bergamese Alps, is made up of two
cities – the old and once
Venetian-ruled Bergamo Alta
(upper Bergamo) and the modern Bergamo
Bassa (lower Bergamo). The old
city is well appreciated for its
ancient Venetian fortifications,
palaces, towers and churches, including
the 12th-century Palazzo della Ragione,
the Torre del Comune, the Duomo
of Bergamo, Colleoni Chapel and
the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The modern city’s main attraction is
the Accademia Carrara, one of
Italy’s largest art collections, with
paintings by Canaletto, Botticelli,
Mantegna, Carpaccio, Bellini and Lotto,
amongst others. The two cities are
connected by a funicular railway.
Lakes
The great northern lakes lie in
a series of long, deep valleys running
down onto the plains from the Alps.
Lake Garda is perhaps the wildest and
most spectacular, Como the most
attractive and Maggiore the most
elegant (and populous). Lake Lugano
lies for the most part in Switzerland.
Resorts
on Lake Maggiore include:
Pallanza (where the Villa Taranto has a
fine botanical garden), Stresa, Arona,
Intra and Orta; on Lake Como:
Cadenabbia, Cernobbio, Bellagio,
Tremezzo and Menaggio; and on Lake
Garda: Limone, Sirmione, Desenzano
and Gardone.
The major mountain resorts,
winter and summer, are Livigno
(duty-free area), Madesimo, Stelvio,
Santa Caterina Valfurva, Bormio, Aprica
and Chiesa.
|
