Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ROME – The nave of the church of San Gregorio Magno, in piazza Certaldo in Rome’s Magliana district, became the scene of a dramatic episode with a happy ending. At around 4.30pm today, a parishioner noticed an unattended plastic shopping bag left in the altar area, right beneath the crucifix. As the man approached to check, he made the shocking discovery: inside the bag was a newborn, likely born in the past 24–48 hours.
The emergency number was dialled at once, swiftly mobilising the rescue services and law enforcement.
The prompt rescue and transfer to hospital
Emergency crews from Ares 118 arrived on scene with the Montagnola doctor’s car and a CTO ambulance. The first medical intervention in the church was provided by the medical team consisting of Dr Manuele Berlanda, nurses Erika Gioia and Claudia Di Carlo, and driver Antonio Fusco:
- First aid and stabilisation: the medical staff administered the first care inside the church itself, stabilising the baby’s vital signs.
- Admission to San Camillo: the newborn was then rushed to San Camillo-Forlanini hospital for the necessary neonatal checks and tests.
- Clinical picture: initial medical findings indicate the child is in generally good condition and is not in danger.
Carabinieri investigation: hunt for the hooded person
While medical assistance was under way, the investigation to reconstruct events and identify who abandoned the baby got under way. The Carabinieri of Villa Bonelli station and Rome’s Radiomobile unit are handling the inquiries.
The Carabinieri have already obtained footage from the church’s internal and external CCTV systems and from the streets around piazza Certaldo. A first review of the images revealed the figure of a hooded person – presumably a woman – who entered the church to leave the bag under the crucifix and then quickly walked away.
