Four Renaissance paintings were stolen from a museum in Messina
Four Renaissance paintings attributed to the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina in Sicily. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli confirmed the theft of three panels from the San Gregorio polyptych and a double-sided panel titled “Madonna and Child with Christ in Pietà,” according to BBC News.
The theft occurred on Saturday evening. Museum Director Marisa Mercurio told the Ansa news agency that, according to preliminary estimates, it took place around 9:50 p.m. local time. Police are investigating how the thieves managed to enter the museum without triggering the alarm and are identifying possible suspects.
According to Ansa, investigators are primarily considering the possibility that the theft was commissioned for the black market in art. The double-sided panel was taken directly from a secure display case. All of the stolen works are mounted on wooden panels, making them difficult to roll up for transport.
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Messina Mayor Federico Basile condemned the theft, stating that it violated a heritage that belongs to all the city’s residents. Mercurio called the theft a great loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
The San Gregorio polyptych, painted in 1473 for the Santa Maria monastery, depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, Saints Gregory and Benedict, and angels. Five panels of this work have survived, three of which were stolen. Another stolen panel depicts, on one side, the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ blessing a follower, and on the other, Christ after his death. The panel’s small size suggests that it may have been used for private worship.
