Four Antonello da Messina artworks worth up to €80m stolen from Sicilian museum
The thieves entered the MuMe Regional Interdisciplinary Museum at about 9:50 pm on Saturday, taking advantage of large crowds and a heavy police presence in central Messina for the Vara procession during the Ferragosto holiday
Thieves stole four Renaissance works by Antonello da Messina from a museum in Messina, Sicily, in a carefully timed break-in during a major local holiday, with the value of the stolen works estimated at up to 80 million euros ($93 million).
The thieves entered the MuMe Regional Interdisciplinary Museum at about 9:50 pm on Saturday, taking advantage of large crowds and a heavy police presence in central Messina for the Vara procession during the Ferragosto holiday, says Al Jazeera.
They cut through metal fencing along Viale Annunziata, forced open a side door and entered the gallery halls before breaking through an armoured glass display case to remove the artworks, according to the information provided.
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Among the stolen works was a small double-sided tempera panel dating from 1465-1474. The devotional work depicts the Virgin and Child with a Franciscan Monk on one side and Christ in Pietà on the reverse. The Sicilian region acquired it in 2003 following its formal attribution to Antonello.
The thieves also dismantled the San Gregorio Polyptych, an altarpiece dated 1473. Three key sections were taken, while two other panels depicting Saint Benedict and Saint Gregory were abandoned during the escape and later found leaning against a wall near the museum grounds.
The San Gregorio Polyptych is the only surviving masterpiece by Antonello that remained in his hometown, making its theft particularly significant.
Museum director Marisa Mercurio expressed devastation over the loss, describing the stolen works as two of the artist's "most important and best-known works".
Interest in Antonello's work has risen internationally following the Italian Culture Ministry's purchase earlier this year of his Ecce Homo painting for $14.9 million.
Art crime experts said the stolen works would be difficult to sell through legitimate markets because of their prominence and recognisability.
Lynda Albertson of the ARCA art crimes research association said highly visible stolen artworks can instead circulate within criminal networks, where they may be used as leverage in other illegal activities.
The theft comes shortly after Italian police recovered works by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse that had been stolen in another major art crime case in Parma.
The investigation into the Messina theft was continuing.
