The Quirinale hosted a striking ceremony to inaugurate the journey of the Olympic flame for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The lantern holding the flame, kept overnight inside the palace, was carried onto the square by a guardsman in full dress, escorted by two Corazzieri. After the national anthem performed by the Inter-Forces Band, IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Italian President Sergio Mattarella delivered their ceremonial remarks.

To conclude the speeches, Giovanni Malagò, head of the Milano-Cortina organizing committee, handed Mattarella the torch used to light the Olympic cauldron - a symbolic moment marking the beginning of the flame’s Italian journey.

A flyover by the Frecce Tricolori closed the event, officially launching the relay. Starting on December 6, the flame will travel more than 12,000 kilometers over 63 days, visiting 110 provinces before reaching Cortina on January 26, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games. Its final destination will be Milan, where it will shine at the opening ceremony on February 6 at San Siro Stadium.