It is called “Milano Cortina” because the 2026 Winter Olympics are being jointly hosted by two different places in northern Italy: the city of Milan (Milano in Italian) and the mountain resort town Cortina d’Ampezzo, commonly shortened to Cortina.

What “Milano Cortina” actually refers to

  • Milano : Italy’s big northern metropolis, a major center for finance, fashion, and industry, where indoor events like ice hockey, figure skating, and ceremonies are scheduled.
  • Cortina : Short for Cortina d’Ampezzo, a famous ski resort in the Dolomites, long known for alpine skiing and winter tourism, and host of the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Together, the official designation for the Winter Games becomes “Milano Cortina 2026,” highlighting that the Olympics are spread between an urban hub and a high‑mountain venue instead of being in a single city.

Why the name matters

  • It signals a multi‑city Winter Olympics model, using existing venues across a wider region instead of building everything in one place.
  • It showcases two very different faces of Italy: modern, industrial Milan and scenic, alpine Cortina , which is often called the “Queen” or “Pearl” of the Dolomites for its surrounding mountain “enclosure.”

In short, the name “Milano Cortina” is basically the Games’ way of saying: “These Winter Olympics belong to both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.”

TL;DR: It’s called “Milano Cortina” because the 2026 Winter Olympics are co-hosted by Milan and the alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the official name simply combines both hosts.

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