The upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Games will feature two Olympic cauldrons paying tribute to Leonardo da Vinci. This marks a historic moment as both cauldrons in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will be simultaneously ignited and extinguished in separate locations, as announced by the organizers.
Inspired by Leonardo’s intricate knot designs, the cauldrons will take the form of sun-like structures. Leonardo’s significant connection to Milan, where he spent a considerable part of his life creating iconic works, influenced the design choice.
These innovative cauldrons are engineered to open and close, with a diameter ranging from 3.1 to 4.5 meters. They will house the Olympic flame within a glass and metal enclosure. The cauldron in Milan will be situated at Arco della Pace, while the one in Cortina will be located in Piazza Dibona.
Both cauldrons will be ceremoniously ignited on Feb. 6 during the grand opening ceremony and extinguished on Feb. 22. Subsequently, they will bear the Paralympic flame from March 6 to 15. Additionally, a captivating three to five-minute show will be presented hourly at the Milan cauldron in the evenings throughout the Olympics.