National Geographic Traveller UK - Lombardy 2020

52 Pages·2020·37.14 MB·English

NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC

TRAVELLER

Lombardy

DISCOVER NORTHERN ITALY’S HISTORIC CITIES
AND DRAMATIC WILDERNESS

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6 Big picture
The winding roads of Valtellina

8 Get to know the locals
Three creatives wax lyrical about the region

io On the trail
Lombardy’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

12 Mountain matchmaker
The best ski resorts for all abilities

is Meet the maker
Organic rice farmer Francesco Bossi

is Weekender
An idyllic two days in Lake Como

is Winter adventures
How to get active in the Alps

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2020

26 Neighbourhood: Milan

Discover the capital’s hidden corners

30 Eyewitness
On the shores of Lake Iseo

36 Local cuisine
Northern Italy’s must-try dishes

42 City Life: Bergamo
What to do and see in the hilly city

46 Top paintings
The region’s unmissable works of art

48 Milano Cortina 2026
Preparing for the Winter Olympics

50 Calendar
Annual events in Lombardy

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ON THE COVER:

Hiker looking out over an
alpine plateau in Sondrio,
Valtellina // Getty

Lombardy 2020 3
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Editor’s
letter

iuseppe Verdi once said: ‘You may have the

universe if | may have Italy’ — and it’s clear why.

The great Italian composer, who spent most of
his life in Milan, was probably familiar with Lombardy’s
kaleidoscope of striking wilderness, deep-rooted history
and world-famous cuisine — all of which you'll find in
this special issue.

The majestic Italian Alps — from Valtellina’s 250 miles
of slopes to picture-perfect Stelvio National Park — are
the inspiration for our cover story (p.18), where we reveal
action-packed adventures suited for every type
of traveller. Elsewhere, we get to know the shores of Lake
Iseo (p.30), tuck into local Lombard cuisine (p.36), scratch
beneath the surface of Milan (p.26) and find out how the
region is preparing for the Milano-Cortina Winter
Olympics in 2026.

So, whether your ideal getaway is gallivanting across
remote mountainscapes or meandering through buzzy
cities, chances are this Northern Italian powerhouse has
what you’re looking for.

FARIDA ZEYNALOVA, EDITOR

vw oOo @FaridaZeynalova
SPONSORED BY

Regione

ANLOMBARDIA Lombardia

in-lombardia.it

Lombardy 2020 5
BIG PICTURE

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BIG PICTURE

BIG PICTURE

Valtellina

This serpentine ascent in the Valtellina region
takes travellers up a series of switchbacks to
the Alpine Cancano plateau. Starting just a

few miles north of the ski resort of Bormio, the
hairpin twists and turns reach the waters of the
Cancano and San Giacomo lakes, two artificial
bodies of water separated by adam. The

Sot -tal lon ke-YoM (cae ole) oN] E-Tmel =a lar-jalolamie) men ell lay
enthusiasts, climbing some 2,300ft over almost
six miles.

Lombardy 2020 7
MEET THELOCALS

From the arc

Emilia Antonia De Vivo
URBAN ARCHITECT AND ARCHITECTURE
TRIP LEADER, MILAN

I MOVED TO MILAN FIVE YEARS AGO AFTER
EIGHT YEARS IN LONDON. It’s the only place in
Italy where you can live to an international
rhythm, with instant access to all the great
things Italy has to offer.

A REVOLUTION STARTED HEREIN 2015 WITH
THE EXPO AND IT HASN’T STOPPED SINCE.
Every sector of public life has been improved,
from the transport system to the redesign
of whole new districts like Porta Garibaldi
and Tortona. So many world-class architects
have worked here, from Zaha Hadid to
Mario Cucinella. Today, Milan is Italy’s
architectural laboratory.

I LOVE WALKING AROUND, taking in
places known for their style and design,
as well as modern architecture. [On a
perfect day] I'll go to the new university
campus designed by Sanaa and have lunch
at Potafiori, a florist and restaurant, or I’ll
visit Villa Necchi Campiglio (a 1930s villa)
or the GAM modern art gallery, and walk
through the Indro Montanelli gardens to
Wonton, which does Europe’s best peking
duck. Then there’s the Casa degli Artisti
—a historic place for the city’s art scene.
instagram.com/londonjamfactor

8 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

MBARDY

ctural marvels of Milan to the lush Valle
Camonica valley, three Lombards rhapsodise about their region

Elio Uberti
ARTIST AND MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIAZIONE
ARTISTI BRESCIANI, BRESCIA

?’VESPENT MY WHOLE LIFE IN THE PROVINCE
OF BRESCIA. It’s huge — very narrow but long,
stretching from the plains of the Po Valley
to the mountains. It borders the spectacular,
extremely clean-watered Lake Garda, and
Lake Iseo, which is more alpine. It also
includes the area of Franciacorta, where 140
vineyards make sparkling Italian wine — in
my opinion, they’re up there with the world-
famous French vineyards.

ILOVE GARDA. There are stunning places
on the lake like Sirmione, where you'll find
Grotte di Catullo — a Roman villa with
fabulous thermal baths (you can still have
thermal treatments there). Sirmione’s spur
jutting out into the lake is one of my favourite
photo spots, especially at dawn or sunset.

THE MOUNTAINS ARE BEAUTIFUL, TOO.
Valle Camonica is one of the longest alpine
valleys in Europe. I bought a little cottage in
the woods near Vestone, in the hills north
of the city of Brescia — it’s always been my
dream to have a property there. I’m ina
valley near Lake Idro, another alpine lake
surrounded by incredible uplands. I’m
inspired by nature, so up here in the woods,
everything is a trigger. eliouberti.it
2€trada.della Forra,,
‘ opT#emosind, Lake Garda

MEET THE LOCALS

Alessandro Zanoni
GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND AWARD-WINNING
PHOTOGRAPHER, PIADENA

PVE LIVED INLOMBARDY ALL MY LIFE: Mantua,
Milan, Cremona and smaller towns around
the Po Valley. I love the landscape — flat, with
trees along the riverbank, hot in summer,
humid and foggy in winter. It’s melancholic,
which is probably why film directors like
Bertolucci and Antonioni were drawn here.

LOVE IT FOR THE ART, TOO. Mantua’s ruling
Gonzaga family got the greatest talents of
the Renaissance working here. Even today,
there’s a focus on art and food; some of the
tiniest villages are home to extraordinary
restaurants like Trattoria dell’Alba in
Piadena, my hometown. If you can afford it,
Dal Pescatore at Canneto sull’Oglio is one of
11 three-Michelin-star restaurants in Italy.

CREMONA HAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
PIAZZASINITALY, with an incredible Duomo,
the third-highest bell tower in the world
and an extraordinary baptistery. It’s famous
for its violin makers too, and the Museo del
Violino is absolutely spectacular.

NEAR MANTUAIS A VERY SMALL TOWN
CALLED SABBIONETA — it’s an incredible
example of the Renaissance ‘ideal city’, and
has the second-oldest indoor theatre in the
world. instagram.com/alezano

Lombardy 2020 9
ON THE TRAIL

ON THE TRAIL

HISTORICAL WONDERS

Home to 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than any other region in Italy,
Lombardy makes an ideal road trip filled with history, architecture and intrigue

Start at MANTUA (1), a regional hub enveloped
by lakes. While walking its cobbled streets,
pay attention to the redbrick buildings and
symmetrical architecture; this historic city,
renovated and expanded between the 15th
and 16th centuries, provides an exceptional
example of an urban Renaissance landscape.
Highlights include the majestic DUCAL PALACE
and the baroque MANTUA CATHEDRAL. Twenty
miles away, SABBIONETA (2) is an impressive
Renaissance town with defensive walls anda
grid-like layout. Here, don’t miss the TEATRO
ALLANTICA, one of the modern world’s first
purpose-built theatres and one of only three
Renaissance theatres still in existence.

From Mantua, it’s a two-hour train journey
to Milan. Music-lovers should stop off at
Cremona’s MUSEO DEL VIOLINO to learn about
traditional violin craftmanship — a UNESCO
intangible cultural heritage.

Once you reach Milan, make a beeline for
the former Dominican convent of SANTA
MARIA DELLE GRAZIE (3) to see the world-
famous Leonardo da Vinci creation, The
Last Supper. Tickets are limited and sell out
quickly, so book a slot online in advance.

Next, rent a car and head to CRESPI D’ADDA
(4), one of Europe’s best-preserved ‘company’
towns. This hamlet was founded in the late
19th century by a local entrepreneur to house
workers from his textile factory and remained
under the ownership of a single company
until the 1970s. The village is still inhabited
and preserves its old-world charm.

Then, head west. The sprawling VALLE
CAMONICA (5) is home to one of the world’s
largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs,
etched more than 8,000 years ago. There are
eight rock art parks across the valley — make
sure to tick off the NAQUANE NATIONAL PARK
OF ROCK ENGRAVINGS. This open-air museum
guards 104 rocks tattooed with animals,
armed men, huts and a labyrinth; Rock 1 is
one of the most impressive in the region.

Archaeology fans should take on the
three-hour drive to MONTE SAN GIORGIO (6),
straddling the border between Lombardy and
Switzerland. This unassuming mount has
preserved the most extensive fossil record
of Triassic marine life. At the bottom of the
Lombardian slope, the Civil Museum of
Fossils of Besano exhibits remains excavated
from the Italian side of the peak — including
a 20ft Besanosaurus.

For the final leg, visit one of the Sacri Monti
of Lombardy — two mounts lined with series
of Christian chapels created during the late
16th and 17th centuries. Of the two trails in
Lombardy, the one up the SACRO MONTEDI
VARESE (7) — a half-hour drive away from
Monte San Giorgio — is a must. Hike the
mile-long Holy Road edging up the mount,
punctuated by 14 frescoed chapels and
leading to a hilltop sanctuary. This cobbled
path, flanked by beech, chestnut and hazel
trees, offers views of the medieval hamlet of
Santa Maria del Monte, the Campo dei Fiori
nature park and the Alps in the distance.

FOUR MORE TO EXPLORE

PREHISTORIC PILE DWELLINGS
Of the 111 prehistoric stilt houses
around the Alps recognised by
UNESCO, 10 can be found in
Lombardy. The oldest hut is on Lake
Varese’s Virginia Island, and dates
back to the Neolithic period.

RHAETIAN RAILWAY
The Albula and Bernina railway lines
— running respectively from Thusis
and St Moritz in Switzerland to Tirano,
in Valtellina — head through numerous
tunnels to reach once-isolated
mountain communities.

10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

LONGOBARDS: PLACES OF POWER
There are two sites in Lombardy
that display the achievements of the
Germanic Longoboard tribe who ruled

VENETIAN WORKS OF DEFENCE
The walls surrounding Bergamo’s
Upper City are part of a series
of defensive structures recently
listed by UNESCO. Don't miss the
architecturally impressive San Giacomo

much of Italy between the 6th and
8th centuries: Castelseprio and the

Gate or San Michele Casemate. monastic complex at Brescia.

ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE