According to Corriere di Milano, this Sunday, October 12, a devastating fire ravaged the Bernaga monastery in Valletta Brianza (Lecco) in just a few hours, forcing the evacuation of the 21 cloistered nuns from the institute of the Romitas Ambrosianas. The fire broke out shortly after 8:00 PM on Saturday, apparently due to a short circuit originating in one of the convent’s cells.
The nuns managed to get to safety, although one of them, 87 years old, suffered mild smoke intoxication. Initially, they were accommodated in the local town hall, and later relocated: 19 to the community of the Little Apostles in Ponte Lambro and two to a reception center in Erba.
The convent of the Romitas Ambrosianas, from the 17th century, suffered irreparable damage
The monastery, built in the 17th century, suffered irreparable losses. Among the damages are paintings of great value, antique furniture, and liturgical objects. The adjacent church was also seriously compromised, where Saint Carlo Acutis—recently canonized and proclaimed patron of the internet—received his First Communion on June 16, 1998.
Dozens of fire department units from Lecco, Merate, Monza Brianza, and Como worked for hours to extinguish the flames and rescue artworks. Despite the efforts, the material damages are described as enormous. The fire department’s investigative unit has opened proceedings to clarify the exact causes.
The church linked to Saint Carlo Acutis was also compromised
The president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, lamented the tragedy on social media, stating that the fire “destroyed a historic place in the territory, whose roots sink into the Middle Ages, wounding the memory and identity of our land.” In his message, he expressed closeness to the nuns’ institute, the diocese, and the local community “that for generations found prayer and consolation there.”