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The pinnacle of the Lombard Renaissance, a vast monastery and church complex in the Po plains with an ornate marble façade, exquisite carved tombs, and some excellent paintings and frescoes.

Lombardy is the land of Italy’s smelly king of blue-veined cheeses, gorgonzola, and its lesser-known cousin taleggio (no mould, just strongly-odoured goodness). It’s also home to grana padana, which is easily confused with parmesan. On the milder end of the scale are the popular bel paese and spreadable marscarpone.

The first of many fun-loving Donizetti premieres.

The chief town of the Alpine valley is littered with crotti – caverns used to cure meats and cheeses – many of which have been converted into osterie . An old stone quarry above town is now home to a botanical park; the Parco Marmitte dei Giganti contains glacial potholes and prehistoric carvings.

Milan’s vast mid-19th-century cemetery is most popular for a pantheonic monument housing (among others) the remains of Alessandro Manzoni (see I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)). The grounds are filled with Art Nouveau tombs of Milan’s top families – a free map shows where such notables as Arturo Toscanini rest in peace. Corners have been set aside for non-Catholic graves, and there’s a monument to Jews deported by the Nazis.

On tiny Lake Annone in the Brianza triangle between Como and Lecco, Civate is the access point to San Pietro al Monte, a wonderful 11th-century monastic complex.

The main town on little Lake Annone was a medieval stop for pilgrims visiting its 8th-century abbey, which was said to house a set of Saint Peter’s Keys to Heaven (long-vanished). In the hills above town is the stunning Romanesque retreat of San Pietro al Monte.