Renaissance Masterpieces Stolen from Sicily Museum as Security System Breached

Four paintings by 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina have been stolen from a museum in Sicily, Italy, the Associated Press reported on August 16 (local time).

According to local media and cultural authorities, thieves broke into the MuMe Museum in Messina, Sicily, on the night of August 15, bypassed the security system, and made off with three of the five panels making up the 1473 "San Gregorio Polyptych" by Messina, along with a double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary holding the dead Christ.

Marisa Mercurio, director of the MuMe Museum, stated, "We have lost some of Antonello da Messina's most important and widely known works," adding, "This is a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, the local community, and the art world."

Messina's cultural authorities also described the incident as a "catastrophe," saying, "A Messina without Antonello is like losing the very essence of a city connected to a great artist who represents the European Renaissance."

Art crime experts believe that because the stolen works are globally well-known, it will be difficult to sell them on the legitimate art market.

Consequently, concerns have been raised that the artworks could be used as collateral or as a means of illicit trade among criminal organizations.

The museum closed the day after the incident while cooperating with police investigations.

Meanwhile, this incident occurred just days after Italian police announced they had recently recovered three works by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse—valued at approximately 10 million euros—that were stolen in March from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation museum near Parma.

(Photo courtesy of MuMe Museum, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.