Historic Bernaga Monastery in Italy Devastated by Fire: 22 Nuns Evacuated Safely but Priceless Artifacts Lost

Oct 12, 2025 10:00 pm CST

A devastating fire has destroyed the historic Bernaga Monastery in northern Italy, forcing the evacuation of 22 cloistered nuns. The 17th-century religious site, where recently canonized millennial saint Carlo Acutis took his First Communion, has suffered incalculable damage with numerous priceless artworks and artifacts believed lost. Officials suspect an electrical short circuit as the cause of the blaze.