Four Renaissance masterpieces of extraordinary value have been stolen from a museum in Sicily, officials confirmed.
Alessandro Giuli announced that thieves took three panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double‑sided Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà, all attributed to 15th‑century painter Antonello da Messina, from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina last Saturday.
Police are investigating how the culprits breached the museum’s alarms and who may have ordered the theft. Preliminary reports suggest black‑market art thieves are behind the heist.
The incident is the latest in a string of museum heists across Europe that have seen priceless works disappear from public view. Italian news agency Ansa notes that the Madonna and Christ in Pietà was removed from inside a secure displaycase, while the wooden panels prevented easy removal by rolling them up.
Director Marisa Mercurio said the theft occurred around 21:50 local time (19:50 GMT) and described it as a “great loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world.”
Antonello da Messina, born and raised on Sicily, became a master of early Renaissance painting. His San Gregorio Polyptych, painted in 1473, depicts the Virgin Mary holding infant Jesus Christ, flanked by St Gregory, St Benedict, and angels. Five panels survive, originally commissioned for the monastery of Santa Maria.
The double‑panel Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà, painted around the same time, shows an infant Christ blessing a follower on one side and a mature Christ in death on the other. Its small size suggests use for private devotion.
Federico Basile, mayor of Messina, said he was “deeply outraged” by the “heinous criminal act” and vowed that Messina will not let its history be stolen.
The theft follows the recovery of three artworks—Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse—stolen from a museum near Parma earlier this year. Those pieces were taken in mere minutes, and alarms prevented a larger theft.
European museums’ security was spotlighted last year when a gang broke into the Louvre in Paris, stealing €88 million worth of historic jewellery.
