8 things to know about Lombardy

Lombardy takes its name from the people living in the region, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire: the Lombards. The old name, Longobardia (land of the Longaboardi) fell into disuse following the collapse of the Roman Empire and became, over the centuries, into Lombardy.

The symbol of the region is the camunian rose. This symbol was found in the rock carvings of Val Camonica in the province of Brescia. The name camuna, in fact, derives from Camonica. The colors of the symbol are white and green. The choice of green in the background represents the Po Valley.

Lombard gastronomy boasts a very long list of typical dishes and products, some of them known all over the world. From cold cuts to cheeses up to the first courses, to the second courses based on meat and then the desserts. Some examples are the Salame di Varzi, the Milanese cutlet, risotto, polenta, gorgonzola, bitto, nougat and panettone!

The art of violin making in Cremona is the most traditional form of craftsmanship. Cremona is recognized as a city of music and world capital of violin making. In 2012, the tradition of the classical school of Cremonese violin making was included by UNESCO in the list of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

Generally we associate Leonardo Da Vinci with the city of Florence because he was born in that territory. Yet, Milan was the city in which he lived the longest. Arriving there to participate in a music competition, he decided to spend the next 20 years in the city, during which he made the paintings of “L’ultima cena” and “La dama con l’ermellino”.

The stracciatella ice cream, one of the most loved ice creams by all, consisting of a base of cream ice cream enriched with delicious chocolate chips, was born in Bergamo, made for the first time at Caffè Marianna.

Milan has been home to 2 universal exhibitions: the first in 1906 was dedicated to transport. The second, realized in 2015, with the theme “Feeding the planet, energy for life” and the objective of including everything related to food, from food education to the serious lack of food that afflicts many areas of the world, to issues related to GMOs.

The carnival of Bagolino, a municipality located in Val Sabbia, near Lake Idro, is a tradition active since the sixteenth century during which you can watch the dances of the “balarì” (dancers and players) accompanied by the sound of the violin. In this small medieval village with palaces, alleys, squares and stairways it is a must to taste the Bagoss, the mountain cheese with saffron.