The flame of inclusion lights Bologna

On the cold afternoon of January 6, the center of Bologna was warmed by a special glow. The streets, still decorated for the holidays, were transformed into an open-air stage to receive the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic flame. One of the torchbearers running under the city’s porticos was Mario Barbuto, National Chairman of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted (UICI) and Director of our Institute. He was chosen by Coca-Cola (Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay) for his constant commitment to the promotion of self-sufficiency and equality – the same spirit that guides sports, the universal language that eliminates all barriers. Bologna responded with its characteristic warmth, its citizens braving the frigid temperatures to applaud a relay that was not merely athletic, but that represented the city’s values of solidarity.

Barbuto perfectly embodied the spirit of the Games during his run along via Rizzoli, and, at the conclusion of the relay, he said:

"The flame represents values in which I profoundly believe: inclusion and commitment for a more accessible society. Sports, just as life, must be a space open to all, where differences are not a limit, but instead a richness.” Accompanied by Marco Mattioli, Mario Barbuto was once again the spokesperson for the community, lighting not only the streets of Bologna with the Olympic flame, but also those leading to a more inclusive future, in which the rights of all are respected, and where, as in sports, there are no limits for anyone. Along with him, among the familiar faces in the relay, was water polo legend Eraldo Pizzo, the "Caiman," who, with Barbuto, had the honor of carrying the flame into Piazza Maggiore, where local authorities and representatives of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) welcomed the final torchbearer of the Bolognese leg.

The torch’s journey covered all of Italy’s provinces, finding its truest meaning in figures such as our Director. In this edition of the Olympics, focused on social and human sustainability, passage of the torch into the hands of a person who fights for civil rights every day transformed a sport event into a moment of national solidarity.

As Italy prepared to welcome athletes from all over the world, Mario Barbuto’s run indicated the steps to be taken to go even further, with the energy, courage, and heart of champions.

When the torch moved toward its next stop, it left behind a wake of awareness: the flame of inclusion lighted Bologna, reminding us that the brightest flame is the one that burns for the rights of all, able to eliminate the shadows of indifference and lead us toward a barrier-free future.

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