Roof of 400-Year-Old Church Collapses in Rome

The roof of the 400-year-old San Giuseppe dei Falegnami (St Joseph of the Carpenters) church in Rome, Italy, collapsed suddenly on Thursday, August 30, but the church was closed to the public, and no injuries were reported.

The church, completed in 1621 amid the ruins of the Roman Forum, is built atop the ancient Roman Mamertine Prison, which was not damaged in the collapse. A 16th century chapel below the 17th century church suffered minor damage. Tradition says that Rome’s patron saints, Peter and Paul, were both held in the Roman prison, which is believed to have been built in the 7th century B.C. Credit: Vigili del Fuoco via Storyful