4 Renaissance Masterpieces Stolen from Sicilian Museum During Italian Religious Holiday
The works, attributed to painter Antonello da Messina, were swiped from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina (MuMe) the city gathered for its annual festival
In an act described as an “intolerable affront to universal cultural heritage,” thieves stole four works attributed to Renaissance master Antonello da Messina from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina on Saturday, while the city celebrated its annual Feast of the Assumption. The heist, which allegedly occurred in just minutes and has driven comparisons to the 2025 Louvre theft, may have been an inside job, Italian police reportedly said Monday.
The works involved are four parts of an altarpiece by the artist, which are estimated to be worth millions. Authorities are now on the hunt for three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473, and the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ in Pietà, according to Italian media.
“We are devastated by what happened,” Maris Mercurio, MuMe director, told ANSA news agency. “They were two of Antonello da Messina’s most important and best-known works. It is a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.” The director told the news outlet that the theft occurred just before 10 a.m., and that guards were on site and surveillance cameras were working. ANSA reports three or four suspects were seen entering the museum and initially made off with all five panels and the double-sided panel, but eventually two were recovered after being abandoned behind a wall.
Once the theft was discovered, authorities set up checkpoints at the ferry terminals in an effort to stop thieves from leaving the region. According to ANSA, the alarm sounded when the suspects broke the glass of the display cases, and four custodians were present, but it is not immediately clear why no one intervened.
“An internal inspection has been launched to reconstruct every step and determine any liability attributable to the custodial staff,” said Sicilian Governor Renato Schifani. “The alarm and video surveillance system worked. No grey area will be tolerated.”