Italy: Thieves steal key Renaissance paintings in Sicily
Four Renaissance paintings by Antonello da Messina were stolen from his Sicilian hometown on Saturday after surviving earthquakes and centuries of history. Crooks took them while locals celebrated a religious holiday.
Thieves broke into the Regional Museum of Messina in Sicily on Saturday night, stealing several Renaissance paintings by Antonello da Messina, a significant artist born on the island. The high-value artworks were displayed as part of the San Gregorio Polyptych, a set of five panels painted in 1473. Among the stolen pieces were three out of the five known surviving panels from the polyptych.
The museum's director, Marisa Mercurio, expressed devastation over the loss, describing the stolen works as of enormous cultural, artistic, and symbolic importance for both Messina and Sicily. The mayor of Messina, Federico Basile, called the theft deeply reprehensible, emphasizing the pain it caused as the city celebrated the Assumption of the Virgin.
The museum remained closed on Sunday while authorities investigated the incident. The financial loss is estimated to be between €70-€80 million, though this has not been confirmed. The stolen paintings were part of an altarpiece that had remained in Messina since a devastating earthquake in 1908 killed nearly 60% of the city's population.
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