Lombardy/Piedmont

The Region of Lombardy stretches from the Alps, on the border with Switzerland, down through the romantic lakes of Como and Maggiore to the broad, flat plains of the River Po It is an area of lakeside villas with azalea-filled gardens, of wealthy towns with imposing palazzi and highly decorated churches, and of efficient, modern industry and large-scale agriculture, the financial heart of Italy At its centre stands Milan, the style-concious capital of Lombardy

Piedmont and the neighbouring Valle d'Aosta are - apart from Turin and its cultural splendours - essentially countryside To the north lie the Alps, with ski resorts such as Courmayeur and the south lie the vineyard-clad hills around Barolo, and seemingly endless fields of grain and rice, used in the local dish, risotto This area is rich in culture From the 11th century to the 18th , both the verdant Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont were part of the French-speaking principality of Savoy and enjoyed the influences of both sides of the Alpine divide Even today both languages are spoken in the form of local dialects More than half of Lake Maggiore is in Piedmont - the rest in Lombardy

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