Photo: The Local Italy

ROME, Oct 12, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A vast blaze has torn through the historic 
Bernaga Monastery in northern Italy, the Italian fire service said Sunday, 
forcing the evacuation of 22 cloistered nuns.

Founded in 1628, the monastery in La Valletta Brianza, near Milan, was where 
Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church's first millennial saint, took his First 
Communion.

The fire broke out Saturday and engulfed the entire building, according to 
nighttime images published by the firebrigade on X.

The nuns were evacuated without injuries but many priceless artworks and 
artefacts were thought to be lost, according to Italian media reports.

Marco Panzeri, mayor of La Valletta Brianza, told local media it was "a 
disaster, an immense, incalculable damage".

The fire may have been caused by a short circuit, he said.

Acutis was elevated to sainthood on September 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV.

The First Communion -- usually taken between the ages of 7 and 11 -- is an 
important step for children in the Catholic Church.