by InTrieste
Trieste will host a stage of the Olympic torch relay for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games on Friday, an event expected to draw public attention while significantly affecting traffic across the city.
The relay will involve 42 torchbearers and follow a two-hour route beginning on Viale Miramare and ending in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia at around 7:30 p.m. The torchbearers are expected to pass by the Miramare castle at 3 pm. The flame will pass through the historic center and several residential districts, including San Giacomo and Campi Elisi, before returning to the waterfront.
The torchbearer will be accompanied by a convoy of promotional vehicles linked to the Games, stretching approximately 800 meters and moving at a slow pace. As the procession advances, streets along the route will be temporarily closed to traffic, causing delays for private vehicles and changes to bus routes operated by Trieste Trasporti. Local authorities have warned that disruptions will be unavoidable despite efforts to limit congestion.
Trieste is the final stop of the day for the torch, which will arrive in the city at 5:44 p.m. Earlier on Friday, the flame will pass through Aquileia, Ronchi dei Legionari, and Monfalcone, marking its first appearances in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Among the torchbearers in Trieste are several well-known Italian athletes, including former basketball champion Alberto Tonut, Olympic fencer Margherita Granbassi, sailor Giovanna Micol, judoka Veronica Toniolo, and Paralympic table tennis gold medalist Matteo Parenzan.
City officials have advised residents to plan ahead and expect traffic delays throughout the afternoon and evening, noting that while the relay will temporarily disrupt daily routines, it places Trieste within the broader lead-up to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
