The Torch in the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni.
The Olympic Flame in Milan in 1948!
Story & Images By Philip Barker at the Piazza del Duomo, Milan
The Prima Ballerina of the Teatro Alla Scala, Nicoletta Manni, carried the Flame into the Piazza del Duomo to ignite a celebratory cauldron marking the end of a 69-day journey across Italy.
“The emotion was very strong because it was a huge honour for me to be the last one to bring the Torch in Milan, representing the city and Italy,” Manni said.
“I knew some months ago that I would be in this event, but didn’t know until today that I would be the last one.”
As a dancer, Manni recognises similarities with the demands of sport.
“The work, the passion, the sacrifice we do every day is very close to the sport, so it is important,” Manni explained.
Crowds had lined the streets throughout the day to watch the Flame pass through.
For most of the day the sun shone and it was hard to believe that the day had begun in misty conditions in Sesto San Giovanni, a suburb of the city.
The Opening Ceremony is set to feature simultaneous parades of athletes in four separate locations.
In Milan the Flame will then be taken to the Arco della Pace to burn throughout the Games.
In Cortina d’Ampezzo, it is to burn in a similar cauldron in the Piazza Dibona.
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