"Disaster": 4 Renaissance-Era Paintings Stolen From Italian Museum
The thieves bypassed alarm and security systems on Saturday evening at the MuMe museum to make off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473.
Four Renaissance paintings by Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina overnight, according to Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli. The artwork, believed to be the only surviving piece by the 15th century painter in his native city, was part of a larger altarpiece originally composed of six panels.
The thieves likely targeted the museum due to its recent acquisition of Messina's artwork for $21 million, according to local councillor Enzo Caruso. Culture minister Giuli expressed confidence in the police investigation, while a museum official declined to comment. The stolen pieces include three of the five remaining panels of the Polittico di San Gregorio altarpiece, and a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk, as well as Christ. The theft occurred after the recovery of three French masterpieces in Parma, Italy.
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