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A flock of cloistered nuns escaped their nearly 400-year-old Italian monastery after a devastating fire broke out late Saturday evening, swallowing up troves of priceless artifacts.
The 21 nuns living on site escaped while the blaze raged through the Bernaga Monastery in La Valletta Brianza, a commune just outside of Milan.
Nineteen of the nuns were relocated to another religious facility for temporary housing. Two others were hospitalized for unspecified injuries, Italian politician Massimo Sertori, the current councilor of the region where the monastery resides, wrote on Facebook.
The monastery, which first opened in 1628, is where the recently anointed Saint Carlo Acutis received his First Communion, one of many rites performed by Catholics during mass that’s first offered to children ages 8 to 11 years old.
The fire completely destroyed the roof of the building, according to photos shared by Sertori.
The exact extent of the damage is unclear, but local outlets report that swaths of artifacts and artwork displayed inside the monastery are likely unsalvageable. Sertori added that there was “serious damage to the structure where premium paintings were kept.”
Marco Panzeri, the mayor of La Valletta Brianza, described the fire as “a disaster” with “immense, incalculable damage,” according to local media.
Sertori suggested that the fire may have been sparked by “a short circuit from one of the cells of the Ambrosian [Rite] monks living there,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Ambrosian Rite is one of many liturgical rites within the Catholic church. Each stems from specific saints or significant figures. The Ambrosian Rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a German theologian who served as a bishop in Milan during the 4th century.
Saint Acutis, who is hailed as the first millennial saint, was just canonized on Sept. 7. He died of leukemia at 15 in 2006 but spent his limited time spreading the Word of God through a website documenting miracles from around the world.
His family fondly remembered him as a fun-loving boy who was passionate about soccer — and indulged in classic cartoons like “The Simpsons” and “Pokémon” like any other kid.
After his death, Acutis was unofficially dubbed “God’s Influencer.”
English (US)