MILAN — A sweeping celebration of Italian culture — honoring figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, along with pasta, vino and other national icons — set the stage Friday night as the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially opened. The festivities were capped by Mariah Carey delivering a show-stopping performance of “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu,” better known worldwide as “Volare.”

The opening ceremony marked a historic first: a four-location, dual-cauldron spectacle spanning Milan and three mountain venues. Designed to accommodate the most geographically dispersed Winter Games ever, the format produced an unusual sight at Milan’s San Siro Stadium. Although signs for the first five countries in the Parade of Nations — Greece, Albania, Andorra, Saudi Arabia and Argentina — entered the stadium, not a single athlete from those delegations appeared there in person.

Instead, competitors marched simultaneously at ceremonies in Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites, Livigno in the Alps, and Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento, underscoring the Games’ unprecedented city-to-mountain design.

Organizers said the ceremony aimed to convey harmony and peace, highlighting unity between urban and alpine settings while addressing a world marked by rising global tensions. Messages of peace were delivered late in the program by South African actor Charlize Theron and Italian rapper Ghali.

The loudest ovation from the crowd of more than 61,000 at San Siro came, unsurprisingly, when host nation Italy entered last, accompanied by an electronic rendition of “The Barber of Seville.”

Nearly three hours into the program, Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially declared the Games open, following remarks by newly elected International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry — the first woman to lead the IOC.

“Thank you for believing in the magic of the Olympic Games,” Coventry told the crowd.

Soon after, tenor Andrea Bocelli filled the stadium with a powerful rendition of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma,” culminating in its iconic refrain, “Vincerò” — “I will win.” As the final notes echoed, torchbearers exited the stadium to ignite one of the Olympic cauldrons at Milan’s Arch of Peace, about 2½ miles away.

In another break from tradition, the Milan-Cortina Games feature two cauldrons rather than one — a nod to Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric studies. The second cauldron is located some 250 miles away in Cortina. The identities of the final torchbearers remained tightly guarded, continuing a long-standing Olympic tradition.

Competition venues for the Games are spread across roughly 8,500 square miles — an area comparable to the size of New Jersey. The multisite ceremony allowed mountain-based sports such as alpine skiing, bobsledding, curling and snowboarding to be represented without requiring athletes and spectators to travel hours to Milan.

Despite hosting the Winter Games, Milan offered little in the way of winter weather. Temperatures hovered just below 50 degrees, with clear blue skies and no trace of snow.

The ceremony opened with dancers from the academy of Teatro alla Scala reinterpreting the marble sculptures of 18th-century artist Antonio Canova. Performers wearing oversized mascot-style heads depicting composers Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi followed, as giant paint tubes released flowing silk in red, blue and yellow — the primary colors — over the stadium.

A parade of performers in vibrant costumes symbolized Italy’s contributions to music, art, literature and architecture, celebrating beauty, history and the spirit of La Dolce Vita.

References spanned ancient Rome, the Renaissance, the Venice Carnival and beloved literary works such as Pinocchioand Dante’s Inferno. A runway segment showcased designs by the late fashion icon Giorgio Armani in the colors of the Italian flag, while Laura Pausini performed the national anthem.

Mariah Carey earned roaring applause both in Milan and in Cortina, where fans sang along as she performed in Italian, erupting when they recognized the unmistakable “Volare” refrain.

Adding a distinctly local flair, Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore — known for “The White Lotus” — guided viewers through a century of Olympic history, highlighting changes in equipment, fashion and music. Comedian Brenda Lodigiani rounded out the segment with a playful demonstration of iconic Italian hand gestures, often used to communicate without words.