Lombardy, Italy

Interactive Map of Lombardy, Italy

Lombardy, Italy Map Links:

Lombardy, Italy, is a region located in the center of northern Italy. It is the largest of all the regions of Italy in population and the fourth largest in size. Lombardy covers a total of 9,206 square miles, all of which are inland.

Cities as Seen on a Map of Lombardy, Italy:

Milan
Bergamo
Mantua
Cremona
Brescia
Como
Pavia
Varese
Sesto San Giovanni
Cinisella Balsamo
Vigevano
Legnano
Gallarate
Rho
Mantova
Lecco
Cologno Monzese
Paderno Dugnano
Lodi
Lissone
Seregno
Rozzano
Desio
Cantu
Voghera
Saronno
Cesano Maderno
San Guiliano Milanese
Limbiate
Corsico
Crema
Brugherio
Cernusco sul Naviglio
Treviglio

Quick Facts:

Population = 10 million

Language = Lombard (Gallo-Italic, Western Romance – rural areas), Italian (urban, metropolitan, and suburban areas)

Ethnicities = Italian, Lombardi, Milan, Swiss, Roman, Austrian
Capital = Milan

The History of Lombardy

The Lombardy region of northern Italy has a rich and eventful history beginning back in the Stone Age! As millennia progressed, the Lombardy region was taken over by the Romans. Through the expansion of the Roman Empire, the Lombardy region flourished. It quickly became one of the wealthiest regions in the Roman Empire, with many autonomous medieval towns established throughout it.

The Lombardy region saw a large boom in the economy during the 11th century as they were a large manufacturer of agriculture and weaponry. During the 15th century, the Lombardy region was at its peak of art and culture. One of the most famous renaissance men of all time, Leonardo da Vinci, was born during this time period and created masterpieces, such as The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.

During this time, trade, commerce, and banking were thriving, and the success extended far beyond the Lombardy region. Today, there is a Lombard Street in London that is symbolic of the region of Lombardy and its success in the economy.

Lombardy changed hands from the Holy Roman Empire to the Habsburgs of Spain, which caused a change to the once-thriving Lombardy economy. The Spanish rulers imposed new taxes causing inflation and debt within the area. By the 18th century, the economy of Lombardy had virtually stopped.

In 1706, Austria gained control of Lombardy and began to implement recovery efforts to both the social and economic aspects of the region. Still, by the 18th century, the French had gained control of Lombardy and designed the republic around the French Empire.

Austria and France were in a struggle over Lombardy. In the extremely short-lived battle, the Five Days of Milan, rebels drove the Austrian forces out of Lombardy, signaling the beginning of the First Italian War of Independence.

In 1859, Lombardy was annexed into the Kingdom of Italy, where it received its territorial shape and name.

Language

The official language in Lombardy is Lombard, which is a Gallo-Italic and Western Romance language; however, standard Italian is increasingly on the rise, especially with young adults. Natives and elders of Lombardy will likely still speak Lombard, especially if they live in rural communities. Standard Italian is spoken in the larger cities in Lombard because of the demographics, education, and entertainment broadcasts.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the primary religion in Lombardy, but there are minor religious groups as well. These groups include Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, and Muslim.

Geography

Because Lombardy takes up such a large area of Italy, it is no surprise that there is a vast range of geographical features of the region. There are mountains, low-lying hills, and agriculturally-rich plains. The only thing missing from the Lombardy region is access to the Mediterranean Sea.

While Lombardy does not have access to the Mediterranean, it does have the powerful Po River running through it. The Po River feeds the lakes in the region and has a major contributing factor in the rich soil in the area. In the rural territories of Lombardy, agriculture was and still is a full-time way-of-life.

In the metropolitan territories, industrial and manufacturing have provided employment for those who live in the city. Additionally, Milan is not only the capital of Lombardy, but it is also considered the fashion capital of the world, providing a way-of-life for designers and artists in the fashion industry.

The climate of Lombardy has both cold and warm seasons. Naturally, the further north you go, the colder the climate. The warm seasons have helped agriculture become a major success in the region.

Culture

Not only do the people of Lombardy have a wide variety of cultural influences, but they also provide a wide variety of cultural influences to territories across the world. Because Milan has become the fashion capital of the world, some of the most iconic fashion designers have come from or been inspired by Milan.

Historically speaking, the region of Lombardy has provided agricultural and artistic influences on both the region of Lombardy as well as other parts of the world.

Migration Patterns

During the 1860s, after the unification of Italy, between 12 and 13 million Italians left the Kingdom of Italy in search of employment opportunities, as much of the country was suffering from poverty, sickness, and overcrowding.

Since then, immigration was sustained during the 1950s and 1960s when the economy boomed, and birth rates were high. By the 1980s, immigration had significantly increased, especially to the capital city of Milan.

Genealogy

The people of Lombardy likely possess a variety of ethnicities, such as Italian, Milan, Roman, Lombardi, and Swiss. The region of northern Italy, where Lombardy is located, saw a variety of ruling authorities, including French, Roman, and Austrian.

Genealogy of Lombardi people can have any combination of these regions. Additionally, as Italian emigrants left their homeland of Lombardy, it would not be uncommon for residents in the United States, Latin America, and neighboring European countries of Italy to have Lombardi genealogy.

List of Itlay Regions

About the author

Caleb Pike is an avid hiker and nature lover, with a passion for exploring the great outdoors. He's a writer, photographer, and adventurer, always seeking new trails to blaze and peaks to conquer.