The official route of the Turin 2006 Torch Relay was announced Wednesday.
The flame, carried in a “magic lantern”, will touch down in Rome on December 7 after a flight from Greece’s ancient Olympia. The Relay will begin in Piazza del Quirinale in Rome on December 8 and will be lit by the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
The Torch will be carried 11,300 km to 140 cities throughout Italy over the next 64 days. It will journey south to Sicily and back north again to Turin.
There will be 10,001 torchbearers from all walks of life including, many well-known personalities from the sporting, cultural and business world.
Turin 2006 Games head Valentino Castellani told a news conference, “it is a route that will show all the beauty and variety of our country”.
One of the highlights of the Relay will be Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing of the torch when it passes through St. Peter’s Square.
The flame will arrive in Turn on February 10 in time for the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
