The Olympic Flame is lit: the journey towards the Olympics begins from Olympia Milano-Curtain.

In the small village of Olympia, home to just over 700 residents in winter, the pouring rain and overcast skies failed to dampen the excitement. Flags from dozens of countries appear at every turn, hung from the facades of houses and taverns, as if the entire world were gathered around that place that, for nearly three thousand years, has held the most symbolic rite in sport: the lighting of the Olympic flame.

It is from here that the journey of the sacred fire towards the Winter Olympic Games officially begins. Milano-Cortina 2026. A path that unites Greece and Italy, the ancient and the modern, myth and sport, in a luminous thread thousands of kilometers long.

Olympia, the eternal heart of the Olympic spirit

Olympia is not just a Greek city: it is a symbol. In its sanctuary dedicated to Zeus, the most important Panhellenic Games, the direct precursor to the modern Olympics, were held every four years starting in 776 BC. The sacred complex included the great Temple of Zeus, the Stadium, and the Temple of Hera, before which the Flame Lighting ceremony is still celebrated today.

Inside the Archaeological Museum, where the protocol section was moved this year due to bad weather, are kept the pediments that decorated the Temple of Zeus, works in Parian marble dating back to 471-456 BC, attributed to the so-called Master of Olympia.

Outside, through the narrow streets of the village, groups of citizens from nearby villages and a few Italian school groups gather. There are few tourists, partly because the indoor nature of the museum imposes strict restrictions on access. The atmosphere, however, is the same as always: intimate, solemn, and, at the same time, profoundly human.

Bad weather and tradition: the ceremony between the sacred forest and the Archaeological Museum

Rain forecasts forced a change in protocol: no outdoor ceremony in front of the Temple of Hera for the official part, which was moved to the Archaeological Museum, without an audience.

According to tradition, the Flame is "generated" in the sacred grove of Olympia: a priestess invokes Apollo, god of the sun, and captures his rays with a concave parabolic mirror. From this light comes the Olympic fire, a symbol of purity, peace, and the continuity of the Olympic spirit. To observe the ritual, in the days leading up to it—when the sun permitted—the fire was lit in front of the temple of Hera and kept as a reserve flame, ready for the official ceremony.

Leading the rite is the high priestess, played by the Greek actress Mary Mina, surrounded by a procession of priestesses and kouroi. It is she who collects the flame, places it in a sacred urn, and presides over the most awaited moment: its delivery to the first torchbearer.

Inside the Museum, the ceremony opens with the Olympic anthem sung by soprano Christina Poulitsi, followed by the national anthems of Greece and Italy, performed by a choir of students from the Italian School of Athens: a detail that speaks volumes about the bond between the two countries.

The President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, welcomed by the President of the IOC, did the honors. Kirsty Coventry, from the honorary president Thomas Bach, from the president of the Foundation Milano-Cortina 2026 Giovanni Malago, by the Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi and by the president of CONI Luciano Buonfiglio.

The first step: Petros Gaidatzis and the start of the relay

The high priestess hands the flame to the first torchbearer: Petros Gaidatzis, Greek rower, Olympic bronze in Paris 2024. He is the one who lights the torch of Milano-Cortina 2026.

This torch has a name and a precise identity: it is called "Essential"Its minimalist design, made of a recycled aluminum and brass alloy, weighs 1060 grams. The aim is to emphasize the "purity" of the flame and its symbolic value, rather than the object itself. Along with the torch, Gaidatzis receives an olive branch, an ancient symbol of peace and brotherhood among peoples.

Upon leaving the Museum, Gaidatzis passes the flame to Stefania Belmondo, a legend of Italian cross-country skiing, two Olympic gold medals (Albertville 1992 and Salt Lake City 2002) and ten medals at the Games. The two run together along the stretch up to the stele dedicated to Pierre de Coubertin, the “father” of the modern Olympics, in the park of Ancient Olympia.

Belmondo and Zoeggeler: the bridge between Turin 2006 and Milano-Cortina 2026

Shortly after the relay began in Greece, the torch passed definitively into "Italian hands." After Stefania Belmondo, among the first torchbearers was Armin Zoggeler, the “cannibal” of world luge, two-time Olympic champion (Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006) and absolute symbol of the discipline.

Belmondo and Zoeggeler are not only two icons of Italian sport: they represent an ideal bridge between the Olympic Games Turin 2006, the last ones hosted by Italy, and those of Milano-Cortina 2026, which brings the five rings back to the country after twenty years. Their presence at Olympia is a tribute to a continuing tradition, but also a message to new generations of athletes and fans.

Nine Days in Greece: The Journey of the Hellenic Flame

The first stage of the journey begins with the ceremony in Olympia: nine days of relay through Greece, for about 2.200 kilometers, passing in seven regions and with mechanical 36 welcoming ceremonies along the way.

Over 450 torchbearers They will alternate in this phase, carrying the flame between cities, villages and symbolic sites, testifying to the profound bond between Greece and the Olympic ideals. The Hellenic journey will conclude on December 4, 2025 in Athens, with the Handover Ceremony in the Panathenaic Stadium, where a delegation from the Organizing Committee of Milano-Cortina 2026 will officially receive the Flame.

From that moment on, the Olympic Flame will become fully “Italian”.

Rome, the Quirinale, and then all of Italy: 63 days of light

Il 4th December, in the late afternoon, the Flame will arrive at RomeThe ceremony is scheduled for 18 pm at Quirinal, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, for the official delivery of the Olympic flame to the host country.

The next day, at 11am, the Italian relay:

• 63 days of travel;

• about 12.000 kilometers;

• 60 main stages;

• crossing of 110 provinces and over Common 300;

• more than 10.000 torchbearers involved (10.001, according to the organizing committee's project).

Each day will follow a precise ritual: departure of the convoy around the 7:30; local passages and ceremonies during the day and finally arrival towards the 19:30 with the lighting of the brazier in the city hosting the final stage, in a great moment of celebration.

From the Colosseum to San Siro: Iconic Landmarks and Cities of Rebirth

The Italian route is not just a sporting relay, but a journey through the history, culture, and wounds—and rebirths—of the country. The Flame will touch:

• symbolic places such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Cathedral of Milano, Grand Canal of Venice;

• cities that have made restarting their identity, like Amateur, hit by the earthquake, or the neighborhood Scampia in Naples, a symbol of social redemption;

• the whole boot, from Aosta to Agrigento, passing through all the Italian regions and UNESCO sites.

Particular attention also to the islands: among the 13 and the 18 December, the torch will be first in Sardinia and then in Sicilia, to underline the unity of a country that recognizes itself entirely in the Olympic path.

The trip will end on the evening of February 6, 2026 at Milano, With the Opening Ceremony at the San Siro Stadium, when the spotlight will turn on the fourth Olympic edition hosted by Italy, after Cortina 1956, Rome 1960 and Turin 2006.

The words of the protagonists: peace, brotherhood, future

During the ceremony at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the IOC President Kirsty Coventry He recalled the role of the Games as a space for respite and encounter: sport, he emphasized, has the power to "break down walls," unite and inspire, in a historical moment marked by war and tension. The Flame that lights today carries with it the dreams of those who believe in sport as a common language.

Great emotion also in the words of Giovanni Malago, president of the Foundation Milano-Cortina 2026, who spoke of "one country, one story." The relay route, he recalled, ideally follows the link between Greece and Rome, between ancient Greek civilization, the Roman Empire and modern Olympism, passing through Pompeii, the Appian Way, the regions of Magna Graecia and the great UNESCO heritage sites.

The goal, he explained, is not just to carry the Flame to the finish line, but to use the "timeless power of the Olympic Games" to create new opportunities for young people, promoting sport as a tool for growth, inclusion, and hope.

The sacred fire is lit: the countdown begins

From the ancient stones of Olympia to the Italian squares, the Olympic Flame of MilanoCortina 2026 has begun its long journey. It's a small flame, seemingly fragile, that will cross borders, cities, and personal stories, carrying with it a simple yet powerful message: in a divided world, sport can still be a place of encounter, friendship, and respect.

When, on the evening of February 6, 2026, the torch will enter the stadium of San Siro, that glow will not only be the symbol of the beginning of the Games, but the synthesis of every single step taken by the Flame from the sacred grove of Olympia to the heart of Italy.

The race towards Milano-Cortina has officially begun.