Header: Courtesy of Milano Cortina 2026
The torches of Milano Cortina 2026, which will mark the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, were revealed during two parallel events at the Triennale di Milano and at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Four athletes presented the torches: Olympic Champion and final torchbearer at the Torino 2006 Games, Stefania Belmondo, and Paralympic Champion Bebe Vio in Milan; Paralympic Champion Martina Caironi and Carolina Kostner, Olympic bronze medallist at Sochi 2014, in Osaka.
Named “Essential” in reference to their pared-back design, the torches were developed by Eni, Premium Partner of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, together with Versalis (Eni), Official Supporter of the Games. Studio Carlo Ratti Associati was commissioned for the design, while Cavagna Group handled engineering and production. The Olympic and Paralympic versions share the same geometry and surface treatment but differ in colour: the Olympic torch features blue-green tones; the Paralympic version uses a bronze palette. Both are finished using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), creating a reflective, iridescent surface that changes with the light.
The torches will be manufactured entirely in Italy. Each weighs approximately 1,060 grams excluding the fuel canister and is primarily made from recycled aluminium and brass alloy. They are designed for reuse and refilling up to ten times, reducing the overall quantity needed for the relays. The grip features an insert made from XL EXTRALIGHT, an ultra-light material produced by Finproject from a Versalis polymer containing 60% bio-naphtha sourced from renewable feedstocks.
The burner, which is the functional core of the object, will operate on bio-LPG. This fuel is produced at the Enilive biorefinery in Gela, Sicily, using renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, animal fats, and agricultural waste. This focus on circular materials and reusable systems supports the project’s broader sustainability goals.
Essential’s open structure reveals its internal components and the combustion system, offering both torchbearers and spectators a view into the way the flame is generated. The Olympic torch is rendered in Shades of Sky, evoking changing natural light conditions and movement across Italian landscapes. The Paralympic torch is coloured in Mountains of Light, referencing the strength and resilience of Paralympic athletes.
The two torches will remain on display at the Triennale di Milano from May 2025 through the end of the Games. After the Games, the Olympic version of Essential will join the permanent collection of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
The torches were commissioned by Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, the entity responsible for planning, financing, and delivering the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), and the local administrations of Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Veneto, Lombardy, Trento, and Bolzano. The foundation was established on December 9, 2019, and is currently led by President Giovanni Malagò and CEO Andrea Varnier.
