Arson At Basilica of San Lorenzo
A fire that broke out on 25 January 2026 in the courtyard of Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome, initially investigated as a separate incident, has since been linked to deliberate arson.
The fire occurred shortly after a separate blaze at San Giacomo in via del Corso, located approximately a seven-minute walk away. Carabinieri patrols were the first to arrive at the scene and succeeded in extinguishing the flames in the courtyard outside the Basilica of San Lorenzo before they spread further.
At the time, investigators sought to determine the cause of the fire and explicitly examined whether there was any connection between the two incidents. Subsequent developments have clarified that both fires were deliberately set by the same individual. Following the arrest of a 35-year-old man on 3 February 2026 while attempting to enter St Peter’s Basilica with flammable materials (OIDAC reported), prosecutors linked him to the arson at San Lorenzo in Lucina as well as the earlier fire at San Giacomo (OIDAC reported). The suspect is now facing criminal proceedings in connection with the attempted Vatican arson and the two church fires in central Rome.
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