Lombardy is Italy’s most populated and richest region. It is in the far north of Italy, bordering Switzerland, and includes part of the Alps mountain range. Lombardy’s beautiful landscape is home to ten World Heritage sites, including Monte San Giorgio and the cultural heritage site at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, which contains the mural of ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci.

Milan is both the capital of the region and the business hub of Italy, hosting the Italian stock exchange. However, Milan is also home to a wide range of art, design, fashion, food, sport and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Apart from being one of the fashion capitals of the world, and home to a number of Da Vinci’s paintings, Milan has also got its own local cuisine and restaurants. Risotto alla Milanese is a buttery rich and creamy saffron rice dish that reflects the city’s wealth and vibrancy.

More generally, Lombardian cuisine is typically based on ingredients like maize, rice, beef, pork, butter and lard – a testament to its northern location, with more in common with Swiss and Austrian food than southern Italy. Besides Risotto alla Milanese, famous dishes include Ossobuco is a braised veal shank that is slow roasted in a wine and tomato stock served on a bed of polenta.