From the Alps to Tuscany: How the Milan–Cortina Olympics Reach Florence

When Italy hosts the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the spotlight will be firmly on the Alpine venues of Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino–Alto Adige. Yet the event’s geographical and symbolic reach will extend well beyond the mountains. Tuscany, despite being far from the snow venues, is preparing to play a visible role alongside the Games, using the Olympic framework to project its cultural, social and lifestyle identity to an international audience.

The connection will take shape through Casa Toscana, a four-day initiative promoted by the Tuscany Region and scheduled from 7 to 10 February 2026 in Milan, at Terme De Montel, near San Siro Stadium. The venue is close to the site of the Olympic opening ceremony and has been chosen to align the Games with a parallel narrative centred on well-being, culture and dialogue.

A Tuscan presence during the Games

Casa Toscana is conceived as a temporary hub where Tuscany presents itself not as a winter sports destination, but as a region associated with quality of life, cultural production and hospitality. The choice reflects a broader strategy linked to the Olympics: using the international attention generated by the event to showcase regional identities that complement sport with culture and social values.

For Florence and the rest of Tuscany, this approach underlines a long-standing relationship with major international events hosted elsewhere in Italy. While competitions will unfold in the Alps, Tuscany positions itself as part of the wider national framework, contributing its distinctive assets rather than attempting to replicate the sporting dimension.

Culture, music and international links

Each evening of Casa Toscana will focus on a different theme, many of them rooted in Tuscan cultural history. Music plays a central role, with references to Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni, whose work has historic links to Olympic symbolism. Other evenings will highlight traditions such as the Viareggio Carnival, contemporary interpretations of Tuscan gastronomy, and international exchanges with past and present Olympic cities.

This structure reflects an understanding of the Olympics as more than a sporting competition. The Games are also a platform for cultural diplomacy, informal encounters and long-term relationships between regions and cities.

Well-being as a bridge between sport and territory

The choice of Terme De Montel as the host venue carries a strong symbolic meaning. The Milanese thermal complex operates in close connection with Terme di Saturnia, one of Tuscany’s best-known wellness destinations in the Maremma. Through this link, Tuscany brings its historic thermal culture into an urban Olympic context, connecting sport, health and regeneration.

In practical terms, this also speaks to a growing international interest in wellness tourism and sustainable travel—areas in which Tuscany, including the Florence metropolitan area, continues to invest.

Florence in the Olympic narrative

Although Florence will not host Olympic events, the city remains central to Tuscany’s international image. Casa Toscana draws on Florence’s role as a cultural reference point, while also extending the focus to lesser-known parts of the region. For international visitors and media following the Games, the initiative offers a gateway to Tuscany beyond the usual tourist circuits.

As Milan–Cortina 2026 approaches, Tuscany’s involvement shows how the Olympics can function as a national and regional amplifier. From the Alpine slopes to the historic cities of central Italy, the Games become an opportunity to tell multiple stories—sporting, cultural and social—within a single global event.

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