From Greece to Cortina: the path of the Olympic and Paralympic Flame.

The Olympic flame has its roots in Olympia, Greece, where inancient times a sacred fire accompanied the celebrations of the Games; in modern times that rite has become the flashlight relay, which lights the Games by connecting territories and communities along its journey.

For Milan Cortina 2026, the official flashlight is called “Essential” and was designed by Carlo Ratti Associati studio: it is made in Italy, made mostly of recycled aluminum and brass, weighs about 1,060 grams (not including the cartridge), uses bio-LPG, and above all is reusable and rechargeable up to ten times, so as to reduce the number of units needed; the Olympic version is blue, the Paralympic version bronze (project with Cavagna Group and Versalis/ENI).

The flashlight has always been carried by torchbearers-athletes, volunteers, civil society figures-and for the 2026 edition, about 10,000 bearers are expected in Italy along a 63-day, 12,000-km route that will touch all 20 regions and 110 provinces, with about 60 city celebrations.

The ignition in Olympia is set for November 26, 2025, the handover in Athens for December 4, 2025, and the arrival in Italy (Rome) on the same day; from December 6, 2025, the relay will cross the Peninsula until February 6, 2026.
On that date, during the Opening Ceremony, two simultaneous braziers will be lit: in Milan at theArco della Pace and in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Piazza Angelo Dibona-a novelty made possible by the “spread” opening among several venues of the widespread Olympiad.

The Olympic flame will then be extinguished on Feb. 22, 2026, at the closing ceremony in the Verona Arena, which concludes the Winter Olympic Games: One of the official flashlight specimens will enter the permanent collection of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, in keeping with the IOC’s museum tradition, while the specimens displayed throughout the year will remain the property of the Organizing Committee, which will display them in various exhibitions.

Soon after, on Feb. 24, 2026, the journey of the Paralympic flame begins. The Paralympic flame leaves from Stoke Mandeville (UK), cradle of the Paralympic Movement, then arrives in Italy for an 11-day, approximately 2,000-kilometer journey with 500 torchbearers.
The program includes stage festivals in several cities (including Milan) and a flame uniting moment in Cortina d’Ampezzo on March 3, before arriving at theArena in Verona for the Opening Ceremony on March 6, 2026.

The Paralympic Games will be held from March 6 to 15, 2026. Upon completion, this flame will also be extinguished at the closing ceremony and the relay materials will reenter the collections of the Paralympic Movement.