Renaissance paintings worth up to €80 million stolen from museum in Sicily
Four 15th-century works by Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in Messina, Sicily, with experts estimating their combined value at up to €80 million. Italy's Culture Ministry announced the theft on Sunday.
Italy's Culture Ministry announced on Sunday that four works by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from the regional museum in Messina, Sicily. The stolen items include three sections of the Saint Gregory polyptych, along with a double-sided wooden panel featuring "Madonna and Child" on one side and "Christ's Pietà" on the other. All the works date to the 15th century.
Circumstances of the theft
According to news agency ANSA, the theft took place on Saturday evening at around 9:50 p.m. local time. The museum's alarm system reportedly failed to activate when the thieves broke in, raising questions about the security setup.
Investigators' leading theory is that the paintings were stolen to order, intended for resale on the black market for art. The apparent precision of the theft supports this line of inquiry.
Some pieces left behind
The thieves initially removed all five sections of the Saint Gregory polyptych but left two of them behind while fleeing the museum. The reason for abandoning those two pieces remains unclear.
All the stolen works were painted on wooden panels rather than canvas, meaning the thieves could not roll them up for easy concealment or transport, as is often done with canvas paintings. This suggests the perpetrators needed a specific method to move the pieces.
Art experts estimate the combined value of the stolen works at between €70 million and €80 million. The investigation into the theft is ongoing.
