Overview
- At Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi, 1960 torchbearer Giancarlo Peris delivered the lantern before Milano‑Cortina chief Giovanni Malagò lit the inaugural brazier.
- Gregorio Paltrinieri led the opening leg, followed by Elisa Di Francisca and Gianmarco Tamberi, with Achille Polonara taking the torch out of the stadium.
- Polonara, recovering after leukemia treatment, said being able to stand and carry the torch was already a major personal victory.
- A total of 164 torchbearers crossed landmarks including the Gazometro, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Pantheon, the Fori Imperiali and the Colosseum, with participants such as Matteo Berrettini, Gigi Datome and Achille Lauro.
- The Rome program was set to culminate with a lighting at Piazza del Popolo around 19:30, with the relay continuing to UNESCO sites such as Ostia Antica; Malagò also referenced Rome’s scrapped Olympic bid, saying the city was denied trust.