Sicily Museum Heist: Renaissance paintings are often prized for their symbolism and artistry. And museum authorities in Sicily’s Messina city were forced to realise that again after a brazen heist culminated in the theft of 4 paintings from Antonella da Messina.
Sicily Museum Heist: What Happened?
Four Renaissance artworks attributed to Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina in Messina, Sicily, this weekend. The theft took place during Ferragosto, Italy’s major summer holiday.
As a result, they were able to successfully bypass the museum’s security systems and remove three of the five surviving panels of Antonello’s 1473 San Gregorio Polyptych. A fourth work, a small double-sided devotional panel, was also taken from an armoured display case. The brazen theft reportedly happened around 10 PM local time, when Ferragosto festivities were taking place across the city. Local authorities have now launched a probe & the museum has been temporarily shut down.
Sicily Museum Heist: List of Stolen Paintings
According to the museum authorities in Messina, the following paintings were stolen during the theft:
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Three panels from the San Gregorio Polyptych – The stolen panels form three of the five surviving sections of Antonello’s 1473 altarpiece. The surviving polyptych is associated with the former San Gregorio monastery in Messina and is considered one of the artist’s important works.
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Madonna and Child with a Franciscan Donor / Christ Crowned with Thorns – This double-sided panel shows the Madonna and Child with a praying Franciscan on one side and Christ on the other. The work was acquired by the Sicilian regional authorities in 2003 and was previously sold through Christie’s.
Sicily Museum Heist: Who are the Suspects?
As of now, no suspects have been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the theft. The probe is still in its preliminary stages.
Sicily Museum Heist: Local Authorities Response
The theft has prompted an immediate probe by Italian authorities and museum officials. Investigators are actively examining the scene and trying to establish how the museum’s security systems were bypassed.
Museum director Marisa Mercurio described the disappearance as a serious loss for the museum, the art world and the local community. Antonello da Messina, who hailed from Messina remains one of its most important cultural figures.
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli released a statement today addressing the heist. “I’ve learnt of the theft with shock and sadness,”, it read.
