COMENIUS 2013-2015ROADS CONNECTING US – CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES AND THEIR

IMPLICATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

THE HISTORICAL ROADS OF LOMBARDY

Roads of Lombardy were used for commercial

acitivities but also for religious

purposes

They connected the most important

centres

Some mountain roads were built

with steps so it was impossible to use

wagons but in winter they could be covered by sledge

It connected Roman municipalities and the Po

Valley

The Via Gallica

The Via Gallica branched off from the Via Postumia

that went on to the Veneto Plain, near Verona and connected the cities of Brescia (Brixia), Milan

(Mediolanum) and Bergamo

Roman Bridge, Palazzolo sull'Oglio

Ponte San Giacomo, Brescia

The Via Gallica lapped Lake Garda and was used by the Roman

centres located on the lake: Peschiera del

Garda (Arilica), Desenzano, Sirmione

and Lonato

Via Regina

Via Ducale

There were two roads that ran along the shores of Lake Como: one on the east side and one on the west side

The Via Regina was on the western shore of Lake Como.Its function was to support the waterways which were preferred for the transportation of people and goods.It was made during Roman times

Via Ducale or Del Viandante is less famous than the Via Regina.

It runs along the eastern side of the lake

In the Middle Ages this road was of notable importance for transit and trade. Thanks to the tolls wayfarers had to pay, it made the Duke of Milan very rich

The Via Ducale was used to avoid the contagion of

the Black Death

In Lombardy not only land routes were important but also waterways

Transport via lake was easier for carrying heavy loads

Maintenance costs were low

The northern lakes of our country have always been a great attraction thanks to their pleasant

environmental setting and surrounding landscape. Lake Como is important for its memories of Manzoni’s

great novel, “I Promessi Sposi”.

Passenger transport on the great

Italian lakes is provided both by state and private companies. The first public

company was founded in

the middle of the last

century, when it inherited the service from the various private

enterprises that had managed it since the

19th century

At the end of World War I in 1918, the "Lariana" company that used to run the navigation service on Lake Como to cope with the increasing number of passengers, built new steamers, one of them was called "Patria."

At the end of 1826 the Lariana company

launched a second

steamer, the Plinio. The two boats

sailed between Como and

Colico, making adventurous dockings and embarkations along the way. They would stop at

Cavagnola to restock on

timber and at Bellagio to

allow passengers to change for

Lecco

Presentation byMarco NavaNatalia BorellaBeatrice MartinelliIrene PisnoliTeresa Talio