Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Milan & the Lake
District
The wealthy region of Lombardy combines
commerce with high living.
by Reid Bramblett
M
ILAN IS THE GLITZY CAPITAL OF LOMBARDY
(
LOMBARDIA
),
ITALY
'
S MOST
prosperous region. Its factories largely fuel the Italian economy, and its attractions—
high fashion, fine dining, hopping dance clubs, and da Vinci's
Last Supper
—have
much to offer the visitor. But there's much more than a sophisticated city to
Lombardy. To the north, the region bumps up against craggy mountains in a
romantic lake district, and to the south it spreads out in fertile farmlands fed by
the mighty Po and other rivers.
Lombardy has a different feel from the rest of Italy. The
Lombardi,
who
descended from one of the Germanic tribes that overran the Roman empire, and
who have over the centuries been ruled by feudal dynasties from Spain, Austria,
and France, are a little more Continental than their neighbors to the south;
indeed, the
Lombardi
are faster talking, faster paced, and more business-oriented.
They even dine differently, tending to eschew olive oil for butter and often forgo-
ing pasta for polenta and risotto.
The Italian lakes have entranced writers from Catullus to Ernest Hemingway.
Backed by the Alps and ringed by lush gardens and verdant forests, each lake has
its own charms and, accordingly, its own enthusiasts. Not least among these
charms is their easy accessibility to many Italian cities, making them ideal for
short retreats: Lake Maggiore and Lake Como are both less than an hour from
Milan, and Lake Garda is tantalizingly close to Venice and Verona. Each of these
world-renowned resorts--Como (the choicest), Maggiore (speckled with elegant
islands), and Garda (a windsurfing hot spot, and microcosm of Italy, with the
Mediterranean lemon groves and vineyards of the south gradually shading to
Teutonic schnitzel and beer on the north end)--can make for a great 1- or 2-day
break from Italy's sightseeing carnival.
DON'T LEAVE MILAN & THE LAKE DISTRICT
WITHOUT . . .
PAYING HOMAGE TO DA VINCI AND MICHELANGELO
You'll find
The Last Supper
in Santa Maria delle Grazie and the
Pietà,
Michelangelo's last
work, inside the medieval Castello Sforzesco.
CLIMBING TO THE ROOF OF THE DUOMO
Wander amid the Gothic
buttresses and statue-topped spires for a citywide panorama.
381
