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The Olympic flame for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games was lit this week in Olympia, the very place where the ancient Games began more than 2,700 years ago. Even with heavy rain pushing the ceremony indoors, the moment carried all the warmth, symbolism and drama you’d expect when the world’s most famous flame sparks to life.
Because the Greek weather was being… well, very Greek, officials took no chances. They had already lit the flame on Monday in front of the Temple of Hera using the traditional parabolic mirror and sunlight, a method used since 1936. That original flame, kept safe in a lantern, became the star of Wednesday’s ceremony inside the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
Greek actress Mary Mina, performing as the High Priestess, used the preserved flame to ignite the Olympic torch. It was a simple act, yet steeped in history, watched closely by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, former president Thomas Bach, members of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and representatives of Italy’s Milano-Cortina 2026 team.
NOW - The Olympic flame is lit at the Temple of Hera in Greece and starts its journey to Italy for the Winter Olympics. pic.twitter.com/GbZfFJEaN9
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) November 26, 2025
The ceremony itself was beautifully atmospheric: the Olympic Anthem sung by soprano Christina Poulitsi, the Greek national anthem performed by a choir from the Italian School of Athens, and a reading of “The Light of Olympia,” a poem celebrating unity and peace. It felt like a soft handoff from Greece, the birthplace of the Games, to Italy, the next host.
Italy’s organizing chief, Giovanni Malagò, spoke about the flame as more than just fire. In his words, it represents a spark that will soon “ignite the whole of Italy,” from Milan’s energy to the snowy peaks of the Dolomites. Coventry echoed the sentiment, calling the flame a bridge between past and future, carrying the promise of friendship, fair play, and a shared human spirit.
Then came the first steps of the relay. Greek rower Petros Gkaidatzis, a bronze medalist from Paris 2024, took the torch first, joined moments later by Italian legend Stefania Belmondo, one of the most decorated Winter Olympians of all time. Together they carried the flame to the Pierre de Coubertin monument, where the heart of the founder of the modern Games is buried. From there, the torch passed through a lineup of Olympic greats and onto the wider Greek leg of the relay.
For the next nine days, the flame will travel through 36 towns and cities, stopping at ski resorts, historic sites, and winter landmarks before arriving at the Panathenaic Stadium for the official handover to Italy on 4 December.
And then the real marathon begins.
From 6 December to the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026, the torch will cover 12,000 km across all 110 Italian provinces, visiting UNESCO sites, buzzing cities, tiny mountain villages, and every corner of the Alps. More than 10,000 torchbearers will take turns carrying it toward San Siro Stadium, where the cauldron will ignite and the Winter Games will officially begin.
A flame born from the sun in ancient Olympia… soon to light up Italy. A warm beginning for a winter celebration.
*With information from Olympics.com
