In the meantime the closing stages of the journey of the Olympic Flame continues through the Piedmonte region. Yesterday morning, the Flame paid tribute to Giovanni Agnelli, who was a strong supporter of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Turin put forward its candidacy, thanks above all to the personal commitment and international persuasion of Giovanni Agnelli, who was then the Chairman of the Torino 2006 Honour Committee. A few minutes before 9am, one of the torch bearers of the Olympic Flame team, which since Friday had been in the Pinerolo area, climbed up to the Val Chisone village cemetery, where the Agnelli family is from, and took the flame into the chapel in which the “Avvocato” is buried. It was a brief and very simple ceremony, without any official speeches. Welcoming the torch bearer in front of the family chapel were Giovanni Agnelli’s granddaughter, Ginevra, the mayor of Villar Perosa, Claudio Costantino, the parish priest don Franco Gallea, and other authorities. Also, about one hundred people with a banner: "Grazie Avvocato" were present. No applause, but a lot of emotion.

XX TORINO - OPENING CEREMONY

It is set to be an outstanding show that will keep two billion spectators glued to the screen. On February 10th, 2006 starting at 8pm, the strong emotion of the Opening Ceremonies of the Torino 2006 XX Olympic Winter Games erupt in the Stadio Olimpico. The values of brotherhood and dialogue will be represented by the athletes who will parade with their national flags and colours, while Italian style and creativity will shine using unique stage designs, mass choreography, extraordinary light shows and a memorable soundtrack.
 

Andrea Varnier (TOROC Director of Image and Communications) and Marco Balich (Executive Producer of the Ceremonies for K2006 and the FilmMaster Group responsible for producing the Ceremonies) are keen to remind people that rhythm, passion and speed are the foundation stones of the opening and closing ceremonies; these three elements will find their perfect synthesis in icons developed to join the artistic segments with a single creative element. Thanks to experimental technology that can generate a red flame up to two metres long, the 'Sparks of Passion' will evoke with their own charge of energy to the world of myths and, at the same time the look of cartoons, infecting the stadium public and television viewers all over the world.

Among the names of the distinguished guests disclosed thus far include designer Giorgio Armani, who will stylistically take care of the protocol moment in which the Italian flag will make its appearance, and Roberto Bolle, dancer étoile of the Teatro alla Scala of Milan. The Ceremony will involve choreographers, directors, costume designers and international professionals; they will also involve a choreographed exhibition on skates called 'Sparks of Passion', in which eight ice hockey athletes will race at 50km/h inside the Stadio Olimpico. The uniqueness of this exhibition is guaranteed due to the 'Sparks of Passion' generating red flames two metres long.

The Closing Ceremonies, schedules for February 26, 2006 at 8pm, will gather athletes and spectators in a universal embrace, proposing once again the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, and setting the appointment for the next edition of the Games in Vancouver, Canada. The Olympic ceremonies will be followed by 35 thousand spectators at the Stadio Olimpico and by approximately two billion television spectators the world wide.