Unesco Sites

The region with the most UNESCO Sites, Lombardy boasts prehistoric, religious, industrial, and architectural wonders. The Trenino Rosso and violin craftsmanship also make the list

UNESCO SITES

INTANGIBLE HERITAGE

PREHISTORIC

MEDIEVAL

RELIGIOUS

CREATIVE CITIES

There is a suprise around the corner in the Lombardy region of Italy. The Bergamo City Wall has raised the number of UNESCO sites in the region to 10. Plus 5 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage sites, including Cremona’s art of traditional violin craftsmanship.

The historic Cremonese art of working woods and strings that emit extraordinary musical notes is included in a collateral list, that of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to be protected. Cremona has been joined by Como, Bergamo, a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, and Milan for Literature, the first in Lombardy to be included in this network.

It’s no surprise, as it was also the first region to receive UNESCO recognition for the Rock Engravings of Valle Camonica in 1979 and one year later with the Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Supper. As part of larger itineraries spreading greater distances, several locations are signaled within a collection of UNESCO Sites.

Take Monte San Giorgio and its Triassic fossils, the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps, the Sacri Monti; a road climbing into the clouds connecting 14 chapels, or the Rhaetian Railway with its Trenino Rosso cutting through the glaciers. The industrial village of Crespi d’Adda, with inspiration from capitalism and philanthropy, was set to host workers at the Crespi family cotton mill.