A devastating fire tore through the 17th-century Bernaga Monastery in La Valletta Brianza, near Milan, on Saturday night. Twenty-one cloistered nuns escaped as flames consumed parts of the historic building.
The blaze, which began shortly before midnight, destroyed the roof and much of the interior. Priceless artworks and religious artefacts were lost. Two nuns were hospitalised with minor injuries. The other nineteen have been relocated to another religious facility, regional councillor Massimo Sertori confirmed.
Founded in 1628, the Bernaga Monastery has long been home to religious communities, most recently nuns following the Ambrosian Rite. This liturgical tradition, unique to Milan, is named after Saint Ambrose, the city’s 4th-century bishop. The monastery’s Baroque design featured frescoed chapels, vaulted corridors, and 17th- and 18th-century devotional paintings.
The monastery is also known as the site where Saint Carlo Acutis received his First Communion. Acutis, canonised earlier this year, is often called the “influencer saint” for using digital media to share his faith.
Local reports suggest that large sections of the monastery’s archives, manuscripts, and sacred art were destroyed. “It is a disaster, with immense and incalculable damage,” said Marco Panzeri, mayor of La Valletta Brianza. Sertori added that the fire caused “serious damage to the structure where premium paintings were kept.”
Investigators believe an electrical short circuit in one of the monastic cells may have sparked the blaze. Firefighters worked through the night to contain it and protect nearby woodland.
The Bernaga Monastery survived the suppression of monasteries under Napoleon and saw major restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite its age, it remained an active place of prayer and contemplation.
Authorities are now assessing the full extent of the damage to determine if restoration is possible. For the nuns, their centuries-old home is now a ruin.
