Twenty-one nuns managed to escape from a 400-year-old monastery in Italy over the weekend, after the 17th-century building was engulfed in flames.

The fire broke out shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday in Bernaga, La Valletta Brianza, just outside Milan, and is believed to have been caused by a short circuit.

The blaze caused significant damage, destroying dozens of priceless artifacts, and left much of the monastery in ruins. It took nine firefighting teams to bring the fire under control.

Writing on Facebook, regional councilor Massimo Sertori said most of the nuns had been relocated to temporary accommodation at another religious facility, with only two requiring hospital treatment.

The monastery, which first opened in 1628, has gained wider attention in recent years due to its connection with Millennium Saint Carlo Acutis, who received his First Communion there.

In a statement, the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, expressed his support and prayers following the disaster: “I know that the nuns will continue to pray and that trust in God will be the most necessary encouragement.”