The Olympic Flame of Milano-Cortina 2026 arrives at the Quirinale: Mattarella welcomes the sacred fire.

The Olympic Flame of the Winter Games of MilanoCortina 2026 has officially arrived in Italy, marking the beginning of a symbolic journey that will accompany the country in the months leading up to the Olympic Games. After its journey in Greece, a sacred site of the Olympics, the flame reached Rome and the Quirinale Palace, welcomed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, in a ceremony steeped in institutional and historical significance. The arrival of the Flame represents much more than a ritual: it is the ideal start of the journey that will lead to the 2026 Olympics, an event shared by two territories and an entire nation.

From Ancient Olympia to Italy: the continuity of a millennial symbol

Lit on November 26 at the archaeological site of Olympia, the Flame carries with it the memory of the original gesture of the ancient Games and its transformation into a modern symbol of peace, dialogue, and unity. In Greece, it traveled for nine days, traversing 2.200 kilometers and entrusted to the hands of over 450 torchbearers, arriving at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, the birthplace of the modern Games. It was there that Isidoros Kouvelos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, officially handed over the lantern to the president of the Foundation. Milano-Cortina 2026, Giovanni Malagò, in the presence of the president of Coni Luciano Buonfiglio, the mayors of Milano and Cortina Giuseppe Sala and Gianluca Lorenzi and tennis player Jasmine Paolini, one of the protagonists of the Greek relay.

The arrival in Rome: a symbolic flight and a collective emotion

The Flame departed Athens aboard an ITA Airways Airbus 320Neo named after Ciro Ferrara, landing at Fiumicino Airport shortly after 5:10 PM. The Italian delegation, composed of Malagò, Buonfiglio, Paolini, and other institutional figures, accompanied the torch on its return to Italian soil, a return that had been missing for twenty years, since the 2006 Turin Games. Jasmine Paolini, already emotional after her experience at the Panathinaikos, reiterated upon arrival how special it is for an athlete to carry the Flame, calling the moment "a dream, an honor, and a privilege."

The entrance to the Quirinale: the fire welcomed like a Head of State

Escorted by motorcycles, the Flame was taken to the Quirinale Palace and handed over to President Sergio Mattarella in the stained glass window of the Courtyard of Honor. The reception, organized according to the protocol reserved for Heads of State, gave the ceremony a solemn and unmistakable character. Mattarella received the delegation along with the highest representatives of Italian sports and the mayors of the host cities. Tomorrow, it will be displayed in the Sala delle Vetrate, where the brazier will be lit in the presence of the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry.

The Meaning of a New Beginning: The Italian Journey of the Flame

The arrival at the Quirinale officially marks the start of the great Italian relay. From here, a 63-day journey will begin, crossing 60 cities, 300 towns, 110 provinces, and all 20 Italian regions, for a total of 12.000 kilometers. 10.001 torchbearers will alternate along a route that, as Malagò noted, will touch iconic sites such as the Colosseum, Monte Rosa, Lampedusa, and Venice, intertwining geography, history, and national identity. Each stage will light a brazier, marking days that will begin at 7:30 a.m. and conclude around 7:30 p.m. The relay will officially begin on December 6, the feast of Saint Nicholas, from the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome.

A journey that unites territories, histories and communities

The Flame not only passes through physical places, but also stitches together a symbolic fabric that connects cities, villages, roads, bridges, and modern infrastructure. It is a journey that portrays a country in its continuity and diversity, celebrating its roots and innovation, local traditions and its Olympic vocation. Each stretch of the route becomes a segment of a collective narrative, in which the Flame represents the entire country's desire to run united toward the 2026 Olympics. The relay will involve Olympic and Paralympic athletes, champions past and present, celebrities, and symbolic figures from everyday life, all embodying shared values ​​such as passion, talent, respect, and inclusion.

The protagonists' emotions: Jasmine Paolini between gratitude and responsibility

Italian tennis player Jasmine Paolini, called upon to deliver the Flame to President Mattarella, was one of the brightest faces of the day. Fresh from her Olympic doubles triumph at Paris 2024, Paolini emphasized how the Flame carries a message of commitment, peace, and passion—values ​​she hopes will spread throughout the country. Her emotion, expressed repeatedly, embodied the symbolic intensity of a moment that intertwines sport, institutions, and national identity.

To Milano-Cortina 2026: a country that looks to the future

The arrival of the Flame in Italy represents not only a ritual, but a declaration of commitment and unity towards the 2026 Games. As underlined by Malagò, MilanoCortina will be the first Winter Games to be hosted by multiple cities and regions, a model that enhances the cultural diversity of Italy. It will also be the most balanced edition in history in terms of diversity and inclusion.

Custody, waiting and departure

The Quirinale, in the quiet of the night, will guard the sacred fire of Olympia, almost as if protecting it as a shared heritage. Tomorrow, with the official ceremony and the lighting of the brazier, a new chapter in the Torch's Italian journey will begin. From this light will take shape the anticipation for the 2026 Winter Games, which will open on February 6 at the San Siro Stadium in Rome. Milano, celebrating sport as a universal language of courage, community, and the future.