By Euronews
Published on
The journey of the Olympic flame has begun on the streets of Rome. It will tour Italy before arriving in Milan on 5 February for the start of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
Friday afternoon saw the lighting of the Olympic brazier by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who called for peace around the world in respect of the values of the Games.
The torch tour in Rome
The tour in Rome started on Saturday morning at the Stadio dei Marmi, in the presence of Presidents Buonfiglio and Malagò, who lit the brazier. Four stars of Italian sport passed the baton: after Gregorio Paltrinieri, the torch was passed to Elisa Di Francisca and Gianmarco Tamberi.
Particularly emotional was the passing of the torch to basketball player Achille Polonara, who is fighting a form of myeloid leukaemia. Polonara carried the flame out of the stadium to loud applause.
After leaving the Stadio dei Marmi, the torch was picked up by several federal presidents, including Laura Lunetta of Sports Dance. The route saw the passing of the tourch to Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milan-Cortina Foundation, near the Giulio Onesti Centre.
In Piazza Cavour, it was the turn of champion Matteo Berrettini, who celebrated with a signature on camera. Finally, the flame moved to Castel Sant’Angelo where it was awaited by basketball player Gigi Datome, before reaching the finish line in the evening. The tour in the capital will end on Saturday night in Piazza del Popolo at around 7.30 pm.
Everything you need to know about the Milan – Cortina 2026 Olympic torch
Starting on Sunday, the flame will be carried by 10,000 torch-bearers and will cross Italy for 63 days, passing by all 20 regions, in 110 provinces of the peninsula and many UNESCO sites. It is a vast and symbolic itinerary that will carry the Olympic enthusiasm throughout the country, before reaching its destination for the start of the competition.
The torches of Milan – Cortina 2026 have been named ‘Essential’, to recall the minimalist style that characterises them and enhances the centrality of the Flame. They were produced by Eni, Presenting Partner of the Journey of the Olympic Flame, in collaboration with Versalis, and are the first in the history of the Olympics to have obtained ReMade class A certification, for the recycled material content with which they were made.
The torch is the universal symbol of unity, hope and perseverance, and embodies the core values of friendship, respect and excellence that underpin the Olympics.