Lombard Kingdom WAS "Padania"

I just began to read 'History of the Lombards', written by Paul the Deacon in the eighth century, and I would like to post a quote from the book here now:

"By the middle of the eighth century, with the fall of Ravenna and the increasing Lombard pressures on Rome, the Lombard kingdom wholly dominated the north of the peninsula, while the Byzantine forces held the south. This division survived Charlemagne's conquests, the raids of the Arabs in the ninth and early tenth centuries, and the Norman invasions of south Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. In addition, it played an important part in the later history of Italy, contributing to the many differences between the north and the south and shaping the culture out of which emerged the Italian communes of the north in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries."

--'History of the Lombards'; 'Introduction I' by Edward Peters; pages ix to v; exact and continuous quote

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Addition [12-2-08]: It was under the leadership of the Lombard King Alboin, that "Langbard" (Kingdom of the Lombards) was first established. However, it was not until his successor's reign, that all of Northern Italy was conquered. The following is the Wikipedia entry for "Cleph.":

"Cleph

"Cleph (also Clef, Clepho, or Kleph; in Italian, Clefi) was king of the Lombards from 572 or 573 to 574 or 575.

"He succeeded Alboin, to whom he was not related by blood. He was a violent and terrifying figure to the Romans and Byzantines struggling to maintain control of the peninsula. He extended Lombard dominion over all of northern Italy, finishing the conquest of Tuscany and bringing Lombard authority to the gates of Ravenna. He was assassinated after an 18-month reign by a young guard, a slave whom he had mistreated. His death was followed by a ten year interregnum, known as the "Rule of the Dukes" because the territorial dukes were supreme. His son, Authari, eventually took the throne in 585."

So for all who insist that "Padania" was never a nation... well, it was! It was called the Kingdom of the Lombards or LANGBARD.