Overview
- Italian President Sergio Mattarella lit the flame at a Rome ceremony attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and IOC President Coventry.
- The first segment set off in Rome with Olympic swimming champion Gregorio Paltrinieri carrying the torch near the main venue of the 1960 Rome Games.
- Organizers plan a roughly 12,000‑kilometer route with about 10,000 participants carrying the torch across the country.
- The relay will pass iconic sites including Pisa’s Leaning Tower and the canals of Venice as it moves north.
- The journey concludes at the Milan opening ceremony on February 6, 2026, at the Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) stadium, with well‑known Italians such as figure skater Carolina Kostner among the torchbearers.