Fire Damages Italian Monastery
A fire severely damaged the 17th-century Bernaga Monastery outside of Milan in northern Italy, forcing 21 cloistered nuns to flee the blaze.
The fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. on October 11, as the nuns were watching a live television stream of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer vigil for peace.
The women all escaped without harm, but the monastery, which was built in 1628, was nearly destroyed.
- Nine firefighting teams intervened to put out the blaze.
- The fire destroyed documents, religious artifacts, and the nuns’ personal belongings.
However, the religious sisters managed to save some paintings and a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who received his first Communion at the monastery.
No official statement has been released on the cause of the fire.
The Archdiocese of Milan reported the damage and the efforts to save the monastery's valuable items.
Author's summary: Fire damages historic Italian monastery.