| If you are looking for a European tourist | | | | Making and Stradivarius Museum. |
| destination, consider the Lombardy region of | | | | Mantua is a city of about fifty thousand. Romeo |
| northern Italy. This beautiful area might be an ideal | | | | fled to Mantua after killing Juliet's cousin in a |
| vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and | | | | swordfight. The 500-room Palazzo Ducale was |
| wash it down with fine local wine. Some parts of | | | | built between the Fourteenth and Seventeenth |
| Lombardy are relatively undiscovered by tourists. | | | | Centuries. Its centerpiece, the Wedding Chamber |
| This article presents Lombardy outside the capital | | | | room took seven years to paint. When you see |
| Milan or the beautiful Lake districts, described in | | | | it, you'll know why. Don't forget to look at the |
| companion articles in this series. | | | | ceiling. |
| Over the millennia Lombardy has been in the | | | | The Sixteenth Century suburban Palazzo Te is |
| hands of numerous invaders from the Etruscans | | | | one of the greatest Renaissance palaces. Make |
| and the Gauls, to the Spaniards and the | | | | sure to see Cupid and Psyche's Room showing a |
| Lombards, among others. They all left their mark. | | | | wedding with interesting and unusual guests. The |
| The internationally known University of Pavia was | | | | walls contain Seventeenth Century graffiti. |
| founded in 1361 and is still going strong. Visit | | | | Cremona is known for Mostarda, mustard |
| Pavia's Fourteenth Century Visconteo Castle now | | | | flavored candied fruits that accompany Bollito |
| home to the Municipal Museum filled with great | | | | Misto, mixed boiled meats. A local version includes |
| paintings and archeological material. The Cathedral's | | | | calf's head, veal tongue, and pig's foot. See our |
| dome is the third largest in Italy. Pavia's top | | | | companion article I Love Touring Italy - Small |
| attraction is the Fifteenth Century Charterhouse | | | | Town Lombardy for a sample menu and more |
| of Pavia monastery, north of the city. | | | | information on Lombardy wines plus an in-depth |
| The city of Cremona, population about seventy | | | | examination of its tourist attractions. The area's |
| thousand, was settled over two thousand years | | | | best-known wine is the Oltrepò Pavese DOC |
| ago. It was home to Stradivari, the world's | | | | grown south of Pavia, across the Po River, hence |
| greatest violinmaker. Actually the violin was | | | | its name. This wine is made in multiple styles from |
| invented in Cremona way before Stradivari was | | | | multiple grape varieties and is said to be the most |
| born. Today one finds more than 50 violinmakers | | | | popular wine in Milan. |
| in Cremona, plus an International School of Violin | | | | |