Archive for 'Lombardy'

Columbanus, known as San Columbano, in Italy, was an Irish saint who was active in the Frankish Empire, establishing monasteries throughout what is now France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, in the 6th and 7th centuries.

The best known are: St. Gall in Switzerland, Disibodenberg in the Rhine Palatinate, St. Paul's at Besançon, Lure and Cusance in the Diocese of Besançon, Beze in the Diocese of Langres, Remiremont Abbey and Moyenmoutier Abbey in the Diocese of Toul, Fosses-la-Ville in the Diocese of Liège, Mont-St-Michel at Peronne, Ebersmunster in Lower Alsace, St. Martin at Cologne.

Finally, he moved on to Italy, where, at Bobbio, he established a great monastic centre. He worked to convert the Arian Lombards and restore unity with the Bishop of Rome. It was here that he spent the last years of his life, leaving a corpus of writings that shaped the monastic culture of the Middle Ages.

Continuing on from our last article, this piece will discuss some more of our picks for the Seven Wonders of Italy.

The Cathedral of St. Ambrose is a building in Lombardy with roots going as far back as the tenth century, though the present structure dates to the sixteenth. It is the seat of the Bishop of Vigevano and the current building was commissioned by Duke Francesco II Sforza in 1530.

Dedicated to St. Ambrose, it was designed by Antonio da Lonate and thought it was begun shortly afterwards, work was not completed until 1612.

With beautiful painted interiors, a newer Baroque façade and a famous treasury and museum inside, it is a typical Italian cathedral in many ways.

Pavia is an antiquated town in Lombardy that is over 2000 years old, located not far from Milan that evokes fairytales, particularly the likes of Rapunzel, as it is populated by several medieval towers that reach towards the sky and look down upon modern buildings.

These thin, seemingly purposeless towers, once overwhelmed the town with their quantity and numbered a hundred. Today, far fewer exist but the town remains known as the “City of 100 Towers.”

In spite of their dwindling numbers, there are still plenty of other things to see and do in the town nowadays so why not find a vacation rental in Lombardy and pay a visit to beautiful Pavia?

Lake Iseo is located in Lombardy, northern Italy, between two larger and much more famous bodies of water: Lake Garda and Lake Como. While tourist guides might point you towards spending time in the latter two destinations, it is wise not to look past the lovely Lake Iseo, which remains a bit of a relatively hidden gem. Just find a vacation rental in Lombardy and explore this beauty.

You'll not only find a lack of tourist crowds and long queues but also a lake as stunning and with as many activities and sights to offer any visitor.

First of all, be sure to try and enjoy the wonderful local cuisine. As you might imagine, there are plenty of fish to be had and, as a result, delicious aquatic delicacies to try. There are also plenty of small vineyards, olive groves and chestnut groves in the area. All of this fresh local produce means that the food of the area is particularly rich, comforting and tasty.

There are many ghost towns around Italy, all of which have been abandoned for one reason or another – natural disaster, a bad location, poor foundations or planning, or migration – but one of the most fascinating of all has to be failed Las Vegas of Italy, Consonno in Lombardy.

Although the town had ancient origins, its decline came after it was completely bought up and rebuilt in the 60s. This was a time of economic prosperity in Italy and in the spirit of fast cars, rock 'n' roll and glamorous lifestyles, entrepreneur Mario Bagno took it upon himself to transform the town.

He bought every piece of land in the area and forced locals to relocate before knocking everything down bar the church and a few houses.