Thieves steal Renaissance artworks in Italy

Thieves have stolen four Renaissance artworks by Antonello da Messina from the MuMe Regional Interdisciplinary Museum in Messina, Sicily. The high-value masterpieces, worth up to 80 million euros, were taken during the city's Ferragosto holiday in Italy. The heist occurred around 9:50pm on the previous day, as cultural officials and Italian media reported.

The theft took place while police and large crowds were distracted by Sicily's major Vara procession in the city center. According to Italian news sources, the thieves bypassed the museum's security by cutting through metal fencing along Viale Annunziata to reach the museum grounds. They then gained entry through a side door before breaching an armoured glass display case to steal a small, double-sided tempera panel painting dating back to 1465-1474.