Four Renaissance paintings of extraordinary value have been stolen from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina in Sicily, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli confirmed on Sunday. The theft, which occurred late Saturday night, marks the latest in a series of high-profile museum heists across Europe.
The stolen works include three panels from the Polyptych of San Gregorio and a double-sided panel depicting the Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà. All four pieces are attributed to Antonello da Messina, the 15th-century Sicilian master considered one of the early Renaissance’s most influential painters.
Police are investigating how the thieves managed to enter the museum without triggering its alarm system. According to the Italian news agency Ansa, investigators are working on the initial suspicion that the paintings were stolen to order for the black market art Trade.
The Madonna and Christ in Pietà was reportedly removed directly from inside a secure display case. All the stolen paintings are on wooden panels, a detail that prevented them from being easily rolled up and transported.
Museum director Marisa Mercurio said the theft is believed to have taken place around 21:50 local time (19:50 GMT) on Saturday. “We are shocked by what happened,” she told Ansa, describing it as “a great loss for the museum, for the city, the community and the art world.”
The San Gregorio Polyptych, painted in 1473, depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus Christ, flanked by St Gregory and St Benedict alongside several angels. Originally commissioned for the monastery of Santa Maria, five panels of the work survive today.
Antonello da Messina was born and raised in Sicily before rising to prominence as a master of the early Renaissance period. His works are celebrated for their pioneering use of oil painting techniques and meticulous detail.
The incident underscores growing concerns about the security of cultural institutions across Europe, where a string of recent thefts has seen priceless artworks disappear from public view. Authorities have not released further details on suspects or the progress of the investigation.
