ROME, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella lit the torch relay celebration cauldron for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday in the heart of the country's capital, Rome.

The lighting ceremony took place at Piazza del Quirinale, where Mattarella used the Olympic torch to light the celebration cauldron. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the event along with other senior officials.

In her speech at the ceremony, Coventry said that the flame symbolizes the true spirit of the Olympic Games, which exists to bring people together, to break down walls, to inspire the dreams of future generations, and can only flourish when every athlete is able to participate without discrimination.

"The Milano-Cortina Games will be the first of my presidency, and I am determined to make them a success for the athletes, for the Italians, and for our Olympic movement. We know that these Games will inspire the world," she said.

Mattarella expressed hope that the Winter Olympics could send a message of peace around the world.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games are global events that allow us to speak powerfully to everyone. They are ancient and modern history, with the concept of peace written into their DNA since the earliest times. Today more than ever, we feel the need for friendship and peace among people," he said.

The celebration cauldron remained on display to the public until the early afternoon. The flame will then be transferred to the Italian National Olympic Committee headquarters and wait for the beginning of the torch relay on Saturday morning.

The flame landed at Rome's Fiumicino Airport on Thursday afternoon, and was handed later to Mattarella, marking the start of the official program that will culminate in the Olympic torch relay.

The relay will traverse 12,000 kilometers over 60 days across Italy, pass through more than 300 municipalities and feature celebrations in 60 cities, reach all 110 Italian provinces, and light up UNESCO sites along the route.

More than 10,000 torchbearers from all walks of life will take part in the relay, including figures from sectors of sports, culture, film and civil society.

The flame will see Christmas in Naples, New Year in Bari, and return to Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games opening ceremony. The relay will conclude on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium. Enditem