In the Lombardy region of Italy, family-born businesses are similarly shaving off under-performing markets, and designing their products with German customers in mind.

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On one shelf you can indulge your palate with pots of golden honey from the Lombardy town of Piacenza, and on the neighbouring shelves you may find expensive Italian leather shoes.

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The Lombardy-based company had loaned me a V7 Racer for a week in New York City (not ideal riding, for obvious reasons) and a few days in the Hamptons.

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Mr Maroni, head of the Northern League and former interior minister, would be joint candidate for the governorship of the region of Lombardy which holds elections on the same day as the national polls.

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He was set to win in the northern region of Lombardy, as well as the central region of Campania and Sicily.

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The region of Campania is one of the critical regions, after Lombardy and Sicily, in determining how parties fare in the Senate.

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The first two investigations, which targeted Lombardy, led in November 2011 to the conviction of 110 defendants.

ECONOMIST: Mafias on the move

Representatives of the Northern League ostentatiously absented themselves from all singing of the national anthem and refused to allow the flag to be waved in the regional assembly of Lombardy.

NEWYORKER: Booted

It gained a majority north of the Po only because of the small-town vote in the League's strongholds of Lombardy and Veneto.

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Lombardy is regarded as one of the four motors of Europe, a highly industrialized region that powers its country with export-led companies, many family-born, like Pirelli, Campari and Luxottica.

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It was sent to millions of households in Sicily, Veneto, Campania and Lombardy - key regions which could decide the result of the election, which is held on Sunday and Monday.

BBC: Silvio Berlusconi

Berlusconi is using his showman charm to mount a comeback for his People of Freedom party and holds key regions in Veneto and Lombardy that could prove crucial, particularly in the battle for the Senate.

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