In III-II millenium b.C. some peoples had already settled in Lombardy around the lakes. In i millenium b.C. appeared the first villages. In VII-VI centuries b.C. the Etruscans settled in the eastern zone of the territory, while in VI-IV centuries b.C. the region was invaded by Celts.

The region has been part of Gallic teritory for a long time. Among the most important celtic tribes there were the 'Galli Cenomani' and the 'Galli Insubri' -this tribe was banished by Etruscans and they settled in a zone between Brescia and Mantua (the land between these cities is still called Insubria) using like capital city Mediolanum (Milan).

The Romans conquered Insubri's land in 222b.C. in Clastidium (the actual Casteggio) taking advantages from the rivalities between two groups of Insubri.The Romans crushed the rebellion started in 218b.C. when Annibal arrived in this land. The region belonged to the province of Gallia Cisalpina earlier and then under Augustus's power it had been divided in the regions X (Venetia) & XI (Transpadana).

Milan had got a great importance after it became the capital of the Eastern Empire in IV century. Colonization of the territory: drying up of marshes, canalization of waters, cleaning of the land from forests, building of roads, etc.

Continuous invasions of Barbarians with the domination of Lombards in the end. By the way the Barbarians domination ended in VII century, and in that period the region was under the Frankish rule (774a.d.); with Franks started the feudal period. 

Between XI and XII centuries, with the victory of Legnano (1176) over Frederick Barbarossa, appeared independent Lombardian communes.

In 1277 Visconti's family took the power in Milan and created a big state trying to overcome the feudal's problems. In this period the region had a great expansion in agrarian field; this expansion permitted to Lombardians to resist to the huge economic crisis happened in  XIVcentury.

Gian Galeazzo Visconti's death provoked a crisis in whichthe Lombard State lost some lands (1428).In 1548 the region was been dominated by Sforza's family and in this period the region was composed of: the actula Lombardy (without Bergamo, Brescia and Mantua)  the western lands on the Lake Lago Maggiore, the Valsesia, Novara and nearby, Vigevano, the lands right under Pavia,'Alessandria and nearby, Piacenza, Parma, Bobbio, the val d'Ossola and the Ticino's zone.

 In 1535 part of Lombardy was under Spanish rule, while the northner part was admitted to Switzerland. In 1629 took place the terrible epidemic of plague which increased the crisis provoked to the spanish incapacity to rule.

People didn't know much about the origins of the plague: they thought it was spread by cruel people, the "untori", or by unfavourable alignments of the stars. This is the reward against untori:

The Austrians succeeded the Spanish in XVIII century. They governed this territory for about 100 years revivaling the economy (even if slowly) increasing capitals and the growth of welfare and agriculture.

In 1859 Lombary was joined to the Kingdom of Sardinia and just later to Italy.