Location Card

Lombardy

Lombardy (in Italian Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po Valley. Lombardy borders the regions of Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and the country of Switzerland. Lombardy's capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy, and its capital (Milan) is the fourth largest conurbation in Europe with more than 6.5 million inhabitants. The current governor of Lombardy is Roberto Formigoni.

Lombardy is one of the three richest regions in Europe, with a GDP per capita 30% higher than the rest of Italy. Many foreign and national companies have their headquarters in Milan. Lombardy seems to be very active in sports with many top-rated clubs in football, rugby, ice hockey and basketball.

Pirelli Tower, the highest skyscraper in Italy (127 m), is the seat of Lombardy Region.

Lombardy is candidate, with the city of Milan, for XXXI Summer Olympic Games (Milan-Lombardy 2016).

History

The region is named for the Lombards or Longobardi, who came after the fall of the (western) Roman Empire. There was a close relationship between the Frankish, Bavarian and Lombard nobility for many centuries.

Lombardy's motto
The Lombardy's motto is "Una regione per fare" (in English, "A region to act").

Provinces

The region is divided into the following provinces, all named after their capital cities:

Bergamo
Brescia (weapon industries)
Como (silk industries - Lake Como)
Cremona
Lecco
Lodi
Mantova
Milano
Monza - Brianza (furniture industries)
Pavia (one of the most ancient universities)
Sondrio (Valtellina)
Varese (shoes industries)
Its twelve provinces are subdivided into a total of 1,562 comunes, ranging in population from Milan (1,256,211) to Morterone, near Lake Como, with only 33 inhabitants (2001 census). Another important town is Monza with its Formula One circuit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardia