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 monastery, 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.
The nuns managed to save some paintings and a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who received his first Communion at the monastery.
The women all escaped without harm.
Author's summary: Fire damages historic Italian monastery.