Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
ROME, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — The Olympic torch relay for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo began in Rome on Saturday morning, kicking off a two-month journey to the opening ceremony of next year's games.
The launch ceremony took place at the Stadio dei Marmi /Marble Stadium/, an open-air arena decorated with Roman-style statues and located next to Rome's Olympic Stadium.
Around 9:50 AM, the final torchbearer of the 1960 Rome Olympics, Giancarlo Peris, carried the flame onto the launch stage. The flame was used to light the torch, after which Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee, lit the cauldron with it.
The first torchbearer, Italian Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, lit the relay torch from the cauldron to the applause of the spectators and ran half a lap around the stadium, officially starting the relay.
The relay was then carried on inside the stadium by Italian fencer Elisa Di Francisca and Olympic high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi. Tamberi performed a "kiss of the torches" with the next participant, Achille Polonara, who carried the flame beyond the stadium and continued through the city.
The relay route in the “Eternal City” /Rome/ will pass by the main attractions, including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Venezia /Venice Square/.
The torch is expected to reach Piazza del Popolo /People's Square/ around 7:30 pm, where a city event with music and art performances will take place.
Over 60 days, the flame will travel 12,000 kilometers across Italy, passing through more than 300 municipalities, visiting all 110 provinces of the country, and illuminating UNESCO World Heritage sites.
More than 10,000 torchbearers from various fields, including figures from sports, culture, film, and civil society, will take part in the relay.
The flame will spend Christmas in Naples, New Year's in Bari, and then return to Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026—the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games opening ceremony. The relay will conclude on February 6 at the San Siro stadium in Milan.
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