Designer appeals to private investors to help restore Milano Cortina cauldrons

MILAN, Sept 17 : Marco Balich, the creator of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic cauldrons, has appealed to public and private institutions to fund their reactivation, stressing the emotional bond they created with residents and tourists during the Games.

Six months on, the two cauldrons are dismantled and stored in separate warehouses, one in Milan and the other near Cortina d'Ampezzo.

"I think that for much less than one million euros they could be reactivated, complete with lighting and all the associated features," Balich told Reuters.

The Tree of Life, the symbol of Milan Expo 2015, was abandoned for nearly a decade. The institution managing the former Expo area has now decided to acquire it, and it is expected to return to operation next year.

"I hope we do not have to wait 10 years. Milan and Cortina represented a very joyful moment," Balich said.

According to Balich, public bodies cannot be expected to bear the costs of preserving the two symbols.

"I am thinking instead of banking foundations or large private companies. I hope the willingness can be found to make it happen, because Milan deserves it," he added, saying he did not want to join the debate over where the cauldrons should be located.

POSSIBLE LOCATIONS

On social media, people have suggested several possible locations for the Milan cauldron, including the Central railway station, the modern CityLife district and Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper".

Another proposal would be to relocate it to a museum.

There was no comment from a spokesperson for the Milan mayor, Giuseppe Sala.

Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi said: "We are still assessing where to place it, as keeping it outdoors would involve significant maintenance costs."

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