lombardia - pietronelmondo

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Lombardy

Bergamo Brescia Como Cremona Lecco Lodi Mantua Milan Monza Pavia Sondrio Varese

I was born and currently reside in this great region. A land that, apart from the sea, has so much to offer the traveler. Starting from Milan, then small cities full of charm like Bergamo and Mantua, and a myriad of towns rich in history. The Po Valley, with its perfectly cultivated fields, is crossed by important rivers such as the Po, the Ticino, the Adda, and the Oglio. There are woods and protected areas; among my favorites are the Orobie Valtellinesi Park, the Adamello Park, and the Ticino Park. Gentle hills and beautiful valleys in the pre-Alpine belt. The Prealps include some of the most beautiful and important lakes in Italy, among which from west to east are Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, and Lake Garda. Finally, the central Alps, mountains less sought after compared to those of other regions, but just as fascinating as those of Valtellina. The cuisine is very varied. Among my favorite dishes I mention: Saffron Risotto, Pumpkin Tortelli, Butter and Sage Ravioli, and Pizzoccheri. Among the main courses, Polenta Taragna with Porcini Mushrooms and the Omelette with Luartis, the dialect name for wild hops. For desserts, Sbrisolona Cake. Among the red wines, Bonarda from Oltrepo Pavese excels, while among the whites, Franciacorta is unbeatable.

Province of Bergamo

Area: 2722.86 km² Municipalities: 243

Caravaggio: Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Fonte

Travel photos...

Bergamo

The Neoclassical Propylaea of Porta Nuova

Bergamo

View of the Lower Town

The Gombito Tower in the upper part of the city

Albino

Sanctuary of the Madonna della Gamba

Albino

Bergamo

Historic center

View of the Upper Town

Sarnico

Sotto il Monte

pier on Lake Iseo

Statue of Pope John XXIII

Lake Endine

Lake view near Ranzanico

Chiuduno

Albano Sant'Alessandro

Historic center

Church of Santa Maria Assunta

View of the village at the foot of Valcalepio

Albano Sant'Alessandro

Arcene

Parish Church of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Roses

Church of Saint Michael the Archangel

Province of Brescia

Area: 4785.62 km² Municipalities: 205

Brescia: View of the city from the top of the Castle

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Cividate Camuno

Bagolino

Brescia

Historic village of Val Camonica

View of the village dominated by the Church of San Giorgio

Piazza della Loggia

Cologne

Coccaglio

The Parish Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius

The Roman Tower, what remains of a 12th-century castle

Parish Church of Santa Maria Nascente

Gambara

Boario Terme

Coccaglio

Historic center

The Thermal Baths with the Pavilion of the Ancient Spring and the Marazzi Dome in the background

Stele to Luca Marenzio, madrigalist musician

Province of Como

Area: 1279.04 km² Municipalities: 147

Como: Futuristic monument to a physicist "Life Electric"

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Bellagio

Campione d'Italia

Panoramic viewpoint called "La Punta"

Gateway to the city

Como

Volta Temple

Province of Cremona

Area: 1769.42 km² Municipalities: 113

Cremona: Piazza Antonio Stradivari

Cremona: Antonio Stradivari Square

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Cremona

Nougat Festival

Cremona

Piazza Stradivari: in the background, the bell tower of the Cathedral

25 April Gallery

Casalbuttano

Acquanegra Cremonese

Capralba

Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian

Parish Church of Saint George the Martyr

Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Zeno Bishop

Casaletto Vaprio

Casanova del Mornasco

Pizzighettone

In the background, the Church of Saints Andrew and Peter

Church of San Giorgio

Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Roggione from the 17th century

Province of Lecco

Area: 805.39 km² Municipalities: 84

Lecco: statue of Saint Nicholas placed in the lake as a symbolic protection of the city

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Lecco

Lierna

Mandello del Lario

Lakeside walk near the public gardens

Roman Basilica of San Nicolò; in the background you can glimpse the neo-Gothic bell tower known as "il Matitone"

Pebble beach on Lake Como; in the background the peninsula with the village and the medieval "Castle"

Province of Lodi

Area: 782.32 km² Municipalities: 60

Lodi: historic center

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Ospedaletto Lodigiano

Studies

Lodi

Suburbs

Church of Saint Giulitta

Municipality

Province of Mantua

Area: 2,341.84 km² Municipalities: 64

Mantua: Castle

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Mantua

Mariana Mantovana

The quadrangular Bell Tower and the Gate Tower

Church of San Barnaba

Scaliger Castle

Asola

Bozzolo

Town Hall

Historic center

Piazza Europa: in the center the Teatro Sociale, on the right the Church of San Francesco

Asola

Mantua

Piazza XX Settembre with the Church of Sant'Andrea

Palazzo Bonacolsi Castiglioni

Historic center seen from the San Giorgio Bridge

Metropolitan City of Milan

Area: 1,574.45 km² Municipalities: 133

Milan: the Duomo

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Milan

Brera District

Milan

CityLife Shopping District

The very central Via Dante, with the Sforza Castle in the background

Province of Monza and Brianza

Area: 405.49 km² Municipalities: 55

Monza: The ancient town hall known as the Arengario

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Monza

Basilica Minor of Saint John the Baptist commonly called Cathedral

The very central Carlo Alberto street, in the background the Arengario Palace

Racetrack where the Formula One Grand Prix is held in September

Province of Pavia

Area: 2967.93 km² Municipalities: 185

Vigevano: The Castle Courtyard and the Bramante Tower

Travel Stories

Vigevano

Terdoppio Lomellino

Pavia

I have seen this city transform over the years; in some ways it has improved, in others not. There is a huge free parking lot not far from the center in the area called Fiera; from there, in a few minutes you can reach Piazza Ducale, the city’s living room and the beating heart of Vigevano’s nightlife. This magnificent square was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza known as the Moro, lord of the Duchy of Milan.
It is always pleasant to enjoy an ice cream while strolling under the arcades, gazing now at the Cathedral of St. Ambrose, now at the Bramante Tower. From a staircase in the square you can access the Castle; on October evenings during the festival of Blessed Matteo, the city’s patron, the courtyard of this perfectly preserved fortress comes alive with flag bearers and people in costume. My favorite area is via del Terraggio, a cobbled street that starts from a characteristic mill and winds narrowly between the walls of houses now inhabited only by immigrants. Also very beautiful is the long stretch of the Ticino river lined with small houses surrounded by lush vegetation. The new ring road leading to Milan, while it has decongested city traffic on one hand, on the other it has clearly separated the city from the river, cutting the green lung in two, and ruined delightful little streets like via Morabassa that used to cross it.

This adventure begins in the municipality of Sozzago, in the lower Novara area, where a watercourse called Refreddo originates. Here, in the company of a friend, I walked along the bank of this stream which, for several kilometers, is barely wider than a ditch. For a short stretch, it serves as the border between Piedmont and Lombardy; once it enters the municipality of Cassolnovo, it winds sinuously among cultivated fields and centuries-old farmhouses until it reaches the territory of Gravellona Lomellina, where it changes its name to Terdoppio Lomellino. In its waters, we spotted carp, turtles, crayfish, and coypus; in the surrounding woods, hares, some roe deer, and numerous species of birds. We walked along it, and the bank was almost always level with the stream; only near Dorno were its banks very high and subject to landslides. Except for a few stretches covered by brambles, we followed it with stubborn dedication, overcoming small waterfalls, sluices, railway bridges, the Milan-Genoa highway, and numerous tributaries that often blocked our way. After 62 kilometers of adventures, which I recorded with my phone and will publish below, we finally reached our destination. After passing the town of Zinasco, behind a levee, we see the Terdoppio curve eastward in a desperate attempt to escape its fate; finally, it gives in and is lost in the Po.

Coming from the north, you enter the city by crossing the Ponte della Libertà to arrive at a large square with a statue of the goddess Minerva in the center; around here parking spaces are few and almost all paid. I like walking so I usually leave my car in the Borgo Ticino district. I have played several chess tournaments in this neighborhood, and each time I had lunch at an outdoor osteria where, under a pergola, I enjoyed mixed river fried fish with Alborelle and other small fried fish called Butin in the local dialect... From there, it's just a few steps to the symbol of Pavia: the Ponte Coperto, built in the 14th century by the Visconti family. After crossing the Ticino river, you enter Corso Strada Nuova, the heart of Pavia's nightlife. In the first part of this street, you come across the Cathedral; a few minutes' walk and you pass through the arcades of the University. Pavia is also an important university city, and with a friend who is a natural sciences student, I visited the Botanical Garden; a true paradise for plant enthusiasts. My classic walk ends after about a kilometer in front of the Visconti Castle. Commissioned in 1360 by Galeazzo II Visconti, enriched in the 15th century with important decorations by Francesco Sforza, today it houses the Public Library and various museums full of famous works of art.