4 Renaissance masterpieces stolen from museum in Sicily

Four Renaissance works attributed to 15th-century painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen from a museum in Sicily, Italian authorities said.

The theft took place Saturday night at the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina, also known as the Accascina Museum, during Italy’s Ferragosto holiday.

The stolen works include three panels from the Polyptych of San Gregorio and a small double-sided panel depicting the Madonna and Christ in Pieta, according to Italy’s Culture Ministry.

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the works as being of “extraordinary value for our cultural heritage” and expressed solidarity with the city of Messina and its residents.

Giuli said he had consulted the Carabinieri’s cultural heritage protection unit, while police are leading the investigation into the theft.

Sicilian regional President Renato Schifani said the museum’s alarm and video surveillance systems had operated normally. Recordings and other data were handed over to investigators seeking to determine how the thieves entered the building and removed the paintings.

The regional government has also launched an internal inspection to examine the circumstances surrounding the theft and determine whether there were any failures by museum security personnel.

Schifani described the robbery as an “intolerable affront” to cultural heritage, saying the authorities’ priorities were to recover the paintings and bring those responsible to justice.

The Polyptych of San Gregorio, dating from 1473, is among Antonello’s most important surviving works. Its five surviving panels depict the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus alongside saints and angels.

The work was commissioned for the monastery of Santa Maria extra moenia, also known as San Gregorio, in Messina.

Born in the Sicilian city around 1430, Antonello is considered one of the leading painters of the early Italian Renaissance and is particularly known for his detailed religious works and portraits.