LODI, a city of Italy, in the province of Milan, lies rather plain and ungainly cathedral (1158) with a huge lateral tower, the church dell' Incoronata erected by Bramaute in 1476, the Palazzo Modegnani with a fine gateway in the style of Bramante, the episcopal palace dating from 1202, and the great hospital with its cloistered quadrangle, are the most noteworthy buildings. Besides an extensive trade in cheese (Lodi making more Parmesan than Parma itself) and other dairy produce, there are manufactures of linen, silk, majolica, and chemicals. The population of the city in 1871 was 18,537.

The ancient Laus Pompeia lay about 5 miles west of the present city, and the site is still occupied by a considerable village, Lodi Vecchio. In the 11th century, according to Landulphus Junior, Lodi was second to Milan among the cities of northern Italy. A dispute with the archbishop of Milan about the investiture of the bishop of Lodi (1024) proved the beginning of a bitter and protracted feud between the two cities. In 1111 the Milanese laid the whole place in ruins and forbade their rivals to restore what they had destroyed, and in 1158, when in spite of this prohibition a fairly flourishing settlement had again been formed, they repeated their work in a more thorough manner. A number of the Lodigians had settled on Colle Eghezzone ; and their village, the Borgo d'Isclla, soon grew up under the patronage of Frederick Barbarossa into a new city of Lodi. At first subservient to the emperor, Lodi was before long compelled to enter the Lombard League, and in 1198 it formed alliance offensive and defensive with Milan. The strife between the Sommariva or aristocratic party and the Overgnaghi or democratic party was so severe that the city broke into two distinct communes. The Overgnaghi, expelled in 1226, were restored by Frederick II. who took the city after three months' siege. During the rest of the Guelf and Ghibelline struggle, and down to the beginning of the 16th century, the annals of Lodi are crowded with stirring events, connected for the most part with the general troubles of the country. In the main it was dependent on Milan. The duke of Brunswick captured it in 1625 in the interests of Spain ; and it was occupied by the French (1701), by the Austrians (1706), by the king of Sardinia (1733), by the Austrians (1736), by the Spaniards (1745), and again by the Austrians (1746). On 10th May 1796 was fought the battle of Lodi between the Austrians and Napoleon, which made the latter master of Lombardy.