Olympic flame makes historic passage down Venice's Grand Canal

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VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Olympic flame on Thursday crossed through the romantic, lagoon city of Venice, where torchbearers glided on traditional Venetian boats down the Grand Canal and across St. Mark’s Basin facing the famed Doge’s Palace in one of its most scenic passages ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The flame arrived near dusk in Venice's Piazzale Roma, the main bus terminal for people arriving in the city. It crossed the Ponte delle Guglie in Cannaregio en route to the arched Rialto Bridge, where it was loaded onto a boat to traverse the Grand Canal toward the wooden Accademia Bridge.

Francesco Lamon, an Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist, was one of the torchbearers on Thursday.

“It’s an indescribable emotion," he told The Associated Press.

People cheered from the side of the canal as the flame, held aloft by torchbearers, was conveyed on a long traditional Venetian boat that once carried Venice's rulers. Called the Serenissima, it was flanked by smaller traditional boats as well as police on Jet Skis. One small group of anti-war demonstrators called for Israel and the U.S. to be excluded from the Games.

Venice historically has served as a crossroads between Eastern and Western civilizations, which is evident in its Byzantine architecture and history in the trade of spices, silks and art. In the modern era, it is the capital of the Veneto region, which includes host city Cortina nestled in the Dolomites to the north. On a clear day, snow-capped mountains can be seen from Venice’s historic center.

From the Accademia Bridge, the flame was carried by foot to Punto della Salute, opposite St. Mark's Square, four a brief tour of St. Mark's Basin before being set down at the Doge's Palace. Thousands of people gathered in St. Mark’s Square to cheer the flame as it passed St. Mark's Basilica, where a small cauldron was lit.

Venice was the 46th stage of the 63-day torch relay covering 12,000 kilometers (nearly 7,500 miles) that started in Rome and will wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces before reaching Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony on Feb. 6. Two official cauldrons will burn during the Games, one in Milan at Arco della Pace in Sempione Park, and one in Cortina, in the Dibona Square.

It’s the first time in nearly 20 years — since the 2006 Turin Games — that Italy has hosted the flame. The Winter Games run through Feb. 22, when the closing ceremony will take place in the Veneto city of Verona.