Brescia Gunpowder Explosion 1769

In 1769, the Italian city of Brescia learned the hard way that superstition can be deadly. At the time, many cities stored gunpowder in church vaults, believing the sacred space and the ringing of church bells would ward off lightning strikes. But when lightning hit the Church of St. Nazaire, it ignited 90 tons of gunpowder stored inside.

The resulting blast killed 3,000 people and leveled an entire sixth of the city. The Brescia explosion became a cautionary tale about mixing faith, folklore, and firepower, and it changed how European cities stored their explosives.

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