THE FUSE

On the afternoon of Friday the 6th, the city of Milan was unusually quiet. Many locals had been told to work from home, leaving the streets uncharacteristically empty as the Olympic torch — designed by the Turin-based architect Carlo Ratti and inspired by Italy’s ever-changing landscapes and the hues of the sky — wound its way through the city before finally arriving at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. By the time the flame entered the arena near the event's end, the 60,000-plus spectators had already witnessed a sweeping sequence of performances celebrating Italian culture and creativity.