After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in the 6th century, the Lombards invaded the area and gave their name to the region. The end of the Lombard rule came in 774, when the Frankish king Charlemagne conquered Lombardy and annexed the Kingdom of Italy to his empire. Read More [...]
In the 15th century, the Duchy of Milan was a major political, economical and military force in Europe. After the Battle of Pavia from 1525, the Duchy of Milan became a possession of the Habsburgs of Spain. In 1706, the Austrians came to power, but their rule was interrupted in the late 18th century by the French armies of Napoleon. In 1859, as a result of the Second Italian Independence War, Lombardy became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Lombardy is located in the northern Italy and is bordered by Piedmont to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the south, Veneto to the southeast and by Trentino-Alto-Adige to the northeast. To the north, the region borders with Switzerland. Its capital city is Milan, and other important cities are Brescia, Monza, Bergamo, Mantova, Cremona, Como and Pavia.
With an area of about 24,000 square kilometres, Lombardy is the fourth-largest region of Italy. With a population of about 10 million people (one-sixth of the Italian population), Lombardy is the second most densely populated region in Italy after Campania.
TRANSPORT: Lombardy is serviced by 4 airports. The most important is the Milano-Malpensa Airport, located about 45 kilometers from Milan. The second is the Orio al Serio Airport, located near Bergamo. The third is the Milano-Linate Airport, located near Milan. The fourth is the Montichiari Airport, located near Brescia.