Things are getting clearer in Italy for the preparations for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. The organizers have unveiled the route of the flame from a palace in Verona, opposite the historic Roman amphitheater. The flames, rather, Olympic and then Paralympic.
The first of the two, in order of size and chronology, will begin its Grande Viaggio ("Great Journey") on November 26, 2025. One year, to the day, after its unveiling. But, as tradition dictates, it will be lit in Olympia, Greece. The Olympic flame will then head to Italy, where it is expected on December 4 in Rome. It will begin its journey through the country two days later.
What's next? A long journey of 63 days and 12.000 kilometres through the 110 provinces of Italy. The flame will make 60 stops in the host country, before the opening ceremony. It will be carried successively by 10.001 torchbearers.
The highlights of the Grande Viaggio : a crossing of Tuscany before visiting Sardinia and Sicily; a stop in Naples for Christmas Day, in December 2025; the New Year in Bari; a stop in Turin, host city of the Winter Games in 2006, on January 11; an arrival in Verona on January 18; a foray into Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in the Italian resort in 1956.
In Piedmont, a tribute will be paid to the Italian skier Matilde Lorenzi, who died last month at the age of 19 following an accident during training. "There will be something to honor him, I promise, especially because it was his dream to participate in these Olympic Games ", confided Giovanni Malagò, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and of the organizing committee of the Milan-Cortina Games.
The relay route will end in Milan with the arrival of the flame at the San Siro stadium for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on February 6, 2026.
Unsurprisingly, the Italians played the history and heritage card. The relay route was designed to " to pay tribute to Italy's extraordinary historical and cultural heritage, while generating enthusiasm for the Olympic event", according to the official speech. The flame will pass through or stop at several of the 60 transalpine sites listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.
Comment from Milan-Cortina 2026 CEO Andrea Vanier: “The Olympic Torch Relay is the moment when the Games enter people’s homes, spreading the magic of winter sports throughout Italy. It is the only project that literally brings the Olympic Games into the homes of millions of people.”
The torchbearers? We will have to wait until February 2025 to find out the application procedure and the selection process. But the director of ceremonies for Milan-Cortina 2026, Maria Laura Iascone, explained: " We will choose participants based on their courage, their experience of peace, inclusion and respect ».
The Paralympic torch will travel 12 days and 2.000 kilometres to the opening ceremony of the Games on 6 March in Verona, passing through Venice and Padua. It will be carried by 500 torchbearers.
Finally, an obligatory passage of an Olympic and Paralympic relay: the partners. No change in the cast: Coca-Cola; usual sponsor of the journey for more than 30 years, is back for a new edition. The brand will be the official partner for the Olympic version. The German insurance group Allianz, also a member of the IOC's TOP world program, will play the same role for the Paralympic flame. On the Italian side, the flame will be sponsored by Eni, one of the premium partners of Milan-Cortina 2026.
