ROME – Under a cloudy sky, the Olympic flame was ceremoniously rekindled Friday in Rome’s historic Quirinale Palace square, marking the start of its nationwide journey ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The flame, originally lit last month in ancient Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics, was handed over to Italian organizers in Athens earlier this week. The torch’s light was brought to the Quirinale Palace on Thursday evening, displayed in the palace’s prestigious Sala delle Vetrate before being transferred to a ceremonial cauldron by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The lighting ceremony, held in the presence of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, underscored the Games’ enduring legacy of unity. President Mattarella called for renewed Olympic truce and global peace, emphasizing the relevance of friendship and dialogue amid challenging times.
“We hope the coming months bring detente and an end to aggression and barbarism,” he said.
Hundreds of spectators gathered on Rome’s iconic hill overlooking the 16th-century Quirinale Palace, once a papal and royal residence, now the home of Italy’s head of state. The occasion was marked by a flypast from Italy’s famed Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team, painting the sky with the nation’s colors.
IOC President Coventry praised Italy’s deep sporting tradition, declaring in Italian: “Bella Italia.” The 2026 Winter Games will take place in Milan and the Dolomite resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6 to 22. Italy previously hosted the Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006.
Starting December 6 at Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi, the flame will embark on a 12,000-kilometer relay across all 20 Italian regions, touching 110 provinces and 60 cities with 10,001 torchbearers. Coventry highlighted the symbolic significance each bearer carries:
“A piece of the Italian spirit, your creativity, courage, cultural heritage, joy, and passion for life.”The torch relay symbolizes Italy’s vibrant cultural and sporting spirit as the nation prepares to welcome the world to its Winter Games.