Four paintings of extraordinary value were stolen from an Italian museum on Saturday night, the culture minister confirmed. The victims were three panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double‑sided panel of the Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà, all attributed to 15th‑century master Antonello da Messina.
Police say the thieves bypassed the museum’s alarm system, and investigators suspect the works were taken on an art‑crime order. They removed the pieces directly from secure display cases; the paintings were on wooden panels, which made them difficult to roll.
The theft occurs amid a recent wave of museum heists across Europe, prompting a reevaluation of security protocols. The museum director Marisa Mercurio called the incident a “great loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world.”
Antonello da Messina, born in Sicily, is recognised as an early Renaissance master. His San Gregorio Polyptych, painted in 1473, portrays the Virgin Mary with an infant Jesus flanked by saints and angels. The two‑panel Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà displays a contrast of innocence and death.
Mayor Federico Basile expressed deep outrage and vowed that Messina will not let its heritage be stolen.
The incident follows the Italian art‑crime unit’s successful recovery of three artworks from a museum near Parma earlier this year. European museum security is under scrutiny after the Louvre’s high‑profile heist in 2024.
