By Stefania Fumo

ROME, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) said Wednesday it has submitted a joint three-city bid to host the the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

CONI "unanimously resolves to send the proposal for candidacy ... of the cities of Milan, Turin and Cortina," the committee said in a statement.

Cortina d' Ampezzo, a ski resort in the Dolomites mountain range in northern Italy, hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics. Turin, which is located near the Alps, hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Italy's bid involves the use of existing facilities, minimizing construction, and practising "sustainable innovation" in terms of logistics and transportation, according to a "master plan" published on the CONI website.

The budget to host the various events spread across three locations would be 376.65 million euros (439 million U.S. dollars), according to CONI.

Also competing to become host cities in 2026 are Graz (Austria), Calgary (Canada), Sapporo (Japan), Stockholm (Sweden), Sion (Switzerland), and Erzurum (Turkey).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the best candidate at its 134th session to be held in Milan on Sept. 11, 2019.