21 nuns narrowly escape a destructive monastery fire in Northern Italy
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Twenty-one cloistered nuns narrowly escaped a devastating blaze that tore through the nearly 400-year-old Bernaga Monastery in northern Italy, leaving the historic site in ruins but sparing all lives.
The Fire
On the evening of October 11, 2025, flames erupted at the Bernaga Monastery in La Valletta Brianza, near Milan, a 17th-century religious complex founded in 1628. According to reports from the New York Post and Italy News Online, the fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. while the nuns were gathered to watch a live broadcast of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer vigil for peace.
Within minutes, the fire spread through the monastery’s wooden roof and vaulted corridors. Nine firefighting teams battled the fire through the night, but much of the structure—including frescoed chapels, archives, and devotional art—was destroyed.
The Escape
All 21 nuns of the Ambrosian hermitages of the Order of St. Ambrose ad Nemus managed to flee. Two were hospitalized with minor injuries, while the others were relocated to another religious facility (Italy News Online). Local officials credited the sisters’ quick action in calling for help and evacuating before the fire consumed the building.
Loss of Heritage
The monastery was not only a spiritual home but also a cultural treasure. It housed Baroque frescoes, 17th- and 18th-century paintings, manuscripts, and sacred relics. Among the most significant losses were archives and religious artifacts, though the nuns managed to save a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, the young “influencer saint” canonized earlier this year, who had received his First Communion at Bernaga in 1998 (EWTN Vatican; Catholic World Report).
Mayor Marco Panzeri of La Valletta Brianza called the destruction “a disaster, with immense and incalculable damage.” Regional councillor Massimo Sertori confirmed that priceless artworks were lost, though firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to nearby woodland (Italy News Online).
The Archdiocese of Milan reported that the fire destroyed documents, religious artifacts, and the nuns’ personal belongings, though the religious sisters managed to save some paintings and a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who received his first holy Communion at the monastery on June 16, 1998.
Cause Under Investigation
While the exact cause remains uncertain, early reports suggest an electrical short circuit in one of the monastic cells may have sparked the blaze (Italy News Online). Father Emanuele Colombo of the Archdiocese of Milan told ACI Stampa that “we will probably never know” the full cause, given the extent of destruction.
Reactions
Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed solidarity with the displaced nuns, saying:
“I know that the nuns will continue to pray and that trust in God will be the most necessary encouragement.” (EWTN Vatican)
The Archdiocese also confirmed that while the monastery is nearly destroyed, efforts are underway to assess whether restoration is possible.
Historical Significance
The Bernaga Monastery survived centuries of upheaval, including the suppression of monasteries under Napoleon and multiple restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was one of the few remaining centers of the Ambrosian Rite, a liturgical tradition unique to Milan dating back to St. Ambrose in the 4th century.
Sources
- EWTN Vatican / ACI Prensa – Fire destroys monastery where Carlo Acutis received Communion
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Italy News Online – Fire devastates Bernaga monastery near Milan