Region (pop., 2001 prelim. 8,922,463), northern Italy.
Bounded on the north by Switzerland, it contains many Alpine peaks as well as the fertile valley of the Po River . Its capital is Milan . Inhabited by Celtic peoples from the 5th century BC, it was conquered by Rome after the Second Lombard League in the 12th century and won autonomy by defeating Frederick I Barbarossa in 1176. The area was later ruled by Spain (1535–1713), Austria (1713–96), and France (1796–1814). In 1859 Lombardy joined the newly unified Italy. Italy's most populous region, it includes part of the country's northern industrial triangle, including Genoa , Turin , and Milan.