Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy lights up the Milan Cortina Olympics with two cauldrons

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This article was published 21/01/2026 (226 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MILAN (AP) — Two Olympic cauldrons for the Milan Cortina Games will pay homage to Leonardo da Vinci.

“For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, two cauldrons (in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo) will be lit and extinguished simultaneously in two different locations,” organizers said in a statement.

The design has been revealed and it is a sun-like structure that is inspired by Leonardo’s intricate knot patterns. Leonardo spent almost 25 years of his life in Milan and many of his most famous works are from his time in the city.

The cauldrons have been designed to open and close — with a diameter that expands from 3.1 meters to 4.5 meters — and will contain the Olympic flame at their core, encased in a glass and metal container.

The cauldron in Milan will be at the city’s Arco della Pace, while it will be in Piazza Dibona in Cortina.

They will be lit simultaneously during the widespread opening ceremony on Feb. 6 and extinguished on Feb. 22. They will burn with the Paralympic flame from March 6-15.

There will also be a special show lasting three to five minutes, hourly at the Milan cauldron in the evenings during the Olympics.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics