MELFI (POTENZA) (ITALPRESS) – The eternal symbol of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Flame started from Rome on December 6 to embark on an extraordinary journey through over 300 Italian municipalities. A journey that is not only physical, but deeply symbolic: a trail of light that brings with it the warmth of unity, the strength of inclusion and the magic of the Olympic values. Each stage is an invitation to sharing, a moment to feel part of a dream that will culminate in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of Milan Cortina 2026. Yesterday 28 December, the Olympic convoy reached the Melfi factory, emblem of Italian manufacturing excellence and future production headquarters of the new Lancia Gamma, the model that will debut in 2026. Lancia, Official Partner of the Trip of the Olympic Flame, shares the values of the sports tradition, which animates the Olympic spirit. The brand will be present along the entire route of the event with a dedicated fleet of cars, to support athletes, staff and organization.
The event was celebrated with a special ceremony at the Melfi plant, in the presence of the CEO of Lancia, Roberta Zerbi, and Luigi Barbieri, head of the Lucan plant, flanked by Francesco Ciancia, Head of Manufacturing of Stellantis. To make the event even more significant, the participation of an exceptional tedophora: Stefania Belmondo, a former Italian footballer and sports legend, with an extraordinary palmarès that includes 10 Olympic medals, 13 World Championship titles and 23 World Cup wins, a record that consecrates her as the most successful Italian athlete in the world circuit. Second woman more coined in the Italian Olympic history, Belmondo inaugurated and concluded the ceremony, sharing with the employees his testimony and emotion to represent the values and the Olympic spirit. For Lancia, the appointment was also a time of sharing with employees and their families. Some of the employees of the plant have had the honour to run and transport the Flame inside the production site, among initiatives and activities designed for the present.
“Welcoming the Olympic Flame in the Melfi plant means joining two worlds that share the same values: teamwork, daily commitment and long-term vision. It is here that the future of Lancia takes shape, with the return of production in Italy and with an industrial project that looks to 2026 proudly and responsibilities” said Roberta Zerbi, CEO of Lancia. As the Automotive Premium Partner of Milan Cortina 2026, the Italian brands of Stellantis – Lancia, Alfa Romeo, FIAT, Fiat Professional, Abarth and Maserati – will provide approximately 3,000 vehicles, of which more than half electrified, to support athletes, volunteers, staff and federations during the entire Olympic event.
photo: Stellantis print office
(ITALPRESS).
