In the 42nd Stage of the Olympic Flame Journey for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, on Sunday, January 18, the final destination for a grand celebration will be the city of Verona, thus entering the nineteenth region in chronological order to host the passing of the Flame: Veneto.
In the morning, the "Essential" Torch itinerary will start from Desenzano del Garda, continuing towards Riva del Garda in about three hours. The third stage will be Rovereto, followed by Peschiera del Garda around 4:00 PM, concluding at 7:30 PM in the wonderful setting of Piazza Bra and the monumental Arena, the beating heart of the Olympic Ceremony.
Along the way, the torchbearers will include cyclists Paola Pezzo, Elia Viviani, and Elena Cecchini, joined by Olympic champion from Moscow 1980 Sara Simeoni. There will also be special moments at the International Red Cross Museum in Castiglione delle Stiviere, in Torbole, at the Peace Bell in Rovereto, and in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella.
The itinerary, starting from Greece on Thursday, December 4, 2025, and arriving in Rome two days later, will culminate on February 6, 2026, at the San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, after having touched all 110 Italian provinces in a long and emotional journey that has involved a large group of 10,001 torchbearers, both Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as famous faces from the world of entertainment.
Symbol of peace, competition, and hope, the light of the Olympic Flame, coming to life, renews the bond between cultures, generations, and shared ideals, reminding the world with a ritual gesture of the power of sport as a universal bridge to unite people, just as in the days of Ancient Greece.
