Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PO PLAIN
The Lombard Plains, otherwise known as the Po or Padan Plain, spread out east and west
of Milan, extending some 650km from Turin and Cuneo in the west to Mantua and Modena
in the east. To the north, the western Alps and the great lakes drain into the valley via the
Ticino, Adda, Oglio and Mincio rivers.
Sitting on the Milan-Aquileia trade route, between the western Alps and the Gulf of
Trieste, the region has been politically and economically significant since the Roman era,
when Julius Caesar granted citizenship to the people of the valley in 49 BC. When Napole-
on conquered northern Italy in the late 18th century he found the valley dotted with pros-
perous towns such as Bergamo, Brescia and Mantua, which continue to power a great deal
of Italy's agriculture and light industry.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bergamo
POP 119,600
Split into a more modern Lower Town (Città Bassa) and a captivating Upper Town (CittÃ
Alta) that incorporates an attractive ensemble of medieval, Renaissance and baroque archi-
tecture, Bergamo is one of northern Italy's most attractive and interesting cities. With its
privileged position at the foot of the pre-Alps between the Brembo and Serio river valleys,
Bergamo has long been appreciated not only as a key trade centre (textiles and metals in
particular) but also as a handy lookout over the Lombard plains.
Although Milan's skyscrapers to the southwest are visible on a clear day, historically
Bergamo was more closely associated with Venice, which controlled the city for 350 years
(1428-1797) until Napoleon arrived.