Milan Italy and Cortina: Olympics Meet Ramadan as Communities Navigate Faith

Milan Italy and the mountain town of Cortina are hosting Winter Olympic and Paralympic events that overlap with Ramadan, and milan italy offers numerous mosques and interfaith iftar gatherings while Cortina provides limited prayer spaces for visiting Muslims during the holy month.

Milan Italy milan italy mosque access

Milan’s metropolitan area includes numerous Islamic centers and mosques where worshippers can gather for prayers and evening fast-breaking. One prominent location, the Al-Wahid mosque near the Navigli area, has extended an open invitation during Ramadan, welcoming visitors to fast-breaking ceremonies and evening worship services. The mosque is noted in local records as having official recognition from city authorities since 2000.

Friday gatherings in Milan bring higher attendance at local mosques; Al-Wahid has hosted municipal representatives, community organizations, Catholic Church leadership, and leaders from other faith communities during these weekly Friday events.

Cortina prayer spaces remain limited

The mountainous region around Cortina d’Ampezzo presents a contrasting experience: finding appropriate worship spaces is more difficult there than in Milan. Local Muslim residents in the Cortina area have gradually established their own religious communities in recent years, but formal prayer facilities remain limited for visitors arriving during the Games.

Interfaith iftars draw civic and faith leaders

Interfaith iftar gatherings in Milan have become a weekly feature through Ramadan. These community dinners were not organized specifically for Olympic attendees but continue weekly until March 14, one day before the Paralympic Games conclude; visitors in town before that date may join the evening meals and prayers.

Imam Yahya Pallavicini, vice president of a national Islamic religious association known by its acronym COREIS, described the Games as a symbolic moment and said sport, culture and art can help reduce prejudice and fear toward particular cultures or religious identities. A recent evening gathering described by attendees included traditional elements: participants waited for the call to prayer, broke the fast with dates served on silver trays, then shared lentil dishes, rice, meat and water before concluding with communal prayers.

Research conducted in 2025 by ISMU, a Milan-based migration studies organization, indicates nearly 400, 000 Muslims reside in Lombardy, the region that includes Milan and the largest immigrant population in the country. The study identifies Moroccan and Egyptian communities as the largest Muslim groups in the area.

• Al-Wahid mosque in Milan is open for Ramadan events and has official recognition since 2000.
• Cortina offers limited formal prayer spaces; local Muslim residents have been building communities gradually.
• Weekly interfaith iftars in Milan continue until March 14, overlapping with the Paralympic schedule.

Outlook: The overlap of the Games with Ramadan has produced differing practical experiences across host locations. Milan’s network of Islamic centers and routine interfaith events provide accessible options for worship and communal iftar through March 14. In Cortina, visiting Muslims and organizers face constraints in locating dedicated worship spaces; local community development has partially eased that gap but formal facilities remain sparse. The continuation of weekly iftars through March 14 offers a concrete window for visitors to participate in communal observance before the Paralympic closing.