Unipd Rector among the three olympic torchbearers representing the city of Padua
20.01.2026
The Rector of the University of Padua, Daniela Mapelli, will be among those selected to carry the torch on behalf of Padua for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The event is scheduled for the afternoon of 21 January, starting from Corso Milano at approximately 6.09 pm.
At around 9.10 p.m., the rector will receive the torch in Prato della Valle, near via Belludi, from another torchbearer. Thanks also to the contribution of Unipd students as torchbearers, the torch will continue its journey through the city until it reaches Prato della Valle at around 7.30 p.m., where an Olympic brazier will be lit.
The rector is also the torchbearer for the Olympic Truce. At each stage of the Olympic Torch's journey, a “peace torchbearer” is selected, someone who has distinguished themselves in their local area for their civic commitment to peace, dialogue and support for vulnerable communities.
> Download the map of the city route
The celebrations, or City Celebration, for the journey of the Olympic flame - 12,000 km across Italy - will begin in Prato della Vale at 5 p.m.
If you are along the route to support the torchbearers and you see the Flame passing by, take a photo or create a story and remember to tag us on social media.
Alongside the Rector, the Olympic flame will be carried on behalf of Padua by Olympic canoeing champion Rossano Galtarossa, who has won four medals during his career, and Professor Franca Benini, Director of the Pediatric Hospice Unit at the Padua University Hospital and Head of the Regional Reference Center for Pain Therapy and Pediatric Palliative Care. In total, 28 torchbearers from Padua have been selected to carry the Olympic torch, including faculty members as well as female and male students from the University of Padua.
Rector Mapelli stated: “I will carry with me, ideally, the entire University of Padua. In the historic courtyard of the Bo Palace there is an installation that brings together sport and human rights. We hope that the passage of the torch can convey a true message of peace.”
