Milan's nightly Olympic cauldron light show draws thousands to the Arch of Peace

Thousands gather each evening beneath Milan's Arch of Peace to watch a four‑minute Olympic cauldron light-and-sound show inspired by Leonardo da Vinci; an identical installation in Cortina presents the same show multiple times nightly.

Thousands of people gather each evening beneath Milan's Arco della Pace, known in English as the Arch of Peace, to watch a four-minute Olympic cauldron light-and-sound show. The cauldron is suspended beneath the arch and incorporates visual motifs drawn from Leonardo da Vinci's knot patterns and geometric studies. The presentation pairs colored light with an original soundtrack by Roberto Cacciapaglia and finishes with pulsating elliptical lights that reflect and amplify the flame. An identical cauldron in Cortina d'Ampezzo presents the same show several times each evening during the Games. Key details: - The cauldron expands from just over 3 meters to 4.5 meters during the performance. - The Olympic flame is encased in a glass and metal receptacle at the structure's center. - The cauldrons were engineered by the Fincantieri shipyard and manufactured in the U.K. with aeronautical aluminum to avoid design leaks before unveiling. - The fuel receptacles are deliberately small to reduce the amount of gas used, a sustainability measure. - The Cortina installation presents the same show six times nightly from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. throughout the Olympics and Paralympics. Summary: The light-and-sound cauldron has become a focal point that draws large evening crowds and creates a communal atmosphere in front of the Arch of Peace. Organizers say the object was designed as an "experiential" spectacle, and while Paris has kept its 2024 cauldron on display after the Games, no post-Games plans have been announced for Milan or Cortina. Undetermined at this time.