Thieves steal four Antonello da Messina masterpieces worth up to 80m from Sicilian museum
Story Timeline
1 day · 3 summary articles
Thieves steal four Antonello da Messina masterpieces worth up to 80m from Sicilian museum
Thieves steal four Antonello da Messina Renaissance works from Messina museum during Ferragosto celebrations
ContinuationThieves steal four Antonello da Messina works from Sicilian museum on Ferragosto evening
Thieves stole four works by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina from the MuMe Regional Interdisciplinary Museum in Messina, Sicily, on Saturday night, with the losses valued at up to €80 million. The heist occurred around 9:50 p.m. local time during the Ferragosto holiday, as a religious procession for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary filled nearby streets, according to museum director Marisa Mercurio .
The thieves removed all five surviving panels of da Messina’s 1473 *San Gregorio Polyptych* from their frames, taking three—including the central *Madonna of the Rosary* flanked by Saints Gregory and Benedict—and abandoning two smaller *Annunciation* panels behind a wall as they fled. A fourth work, a double-sided devotional tablet depicting the *Madonna and Child* on one side and a *Pietà* on the other, was taken from a secure display case .
Authorities confirmed the museum’s alarms and cameras were operational, though investigators are still determining how the thieves bypassed them. Mercurio described the loss as “a tremendous blow for the museum, the city, the community and the art world” .
Art expert Alberto Fiz estimated the stolen works’ value at €70 million to €80 million. The double-sided panel, originally intended for private devotion, had been part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection before its 2003 sale to Sicily’s regional government after attribution to da Messina .
Two of the abandoned *Polyptych* panels were later found on a low wall outside the museum by a passing family, who alerted police around 9 p.m. Surveillance footage and witness accounts suggest at least four individuals, wearing full-face helmets and black shirts, participated in the theft .
Sicilian President Renato Schifani called the theft “an exceptional criminal act” and “an intolerable affront to universal cultural heritage,” while Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli expressed “consternation and sorrow” and pledged full government support for the investigation .
Police have set up checkpoints at ferry terminals to Calabria, but the whereabouts of the remaining stolen works and the thieves remain unknown. Investigators are pursuing leads, including the possibility of a commissioned theft by art traffickers .
Follow us for live European news
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
Articles
Seis obras de Messina roubadas durante festa religiosa Duas das obras foram encontradas no exterior do museu, estimando a polícia que os assaltantes tenham abandonado as pinturas durante a fuga devido à presença de vários transeuntes naquele momento
observador · about 2 hours ago
Négy reneszánsz festményt is elloptak egy szicíliai múzeumból Egy szárnyasoltár pár darabját és egy különleges, kétoldalas festményt vittek el a tolvajok, akik feltehetően rendelésre lopták el a képeket.
444.hu · about 2 hours ago
Furto al MuMe di Messina: due tavole di Antonello da Messina ritrovate su un muretto. Sgarbi: sicurezza carente La banda di ladri, che ha compito il clamoroso furto delle tavole di Antonello da Messina del museo regionale Accascina della città dello Stretto era composta da almeno 4 persone:...
il sole 24 ore · about 2 hours ago
Jaf ca-n filme într-un muzeu din Italia. Patru capodopere de 80 de milioane de euro, furate Hoții au furat patru opere atribuite pictorului renascentist Antonello da Messina, evaluate la zeci de milioane de euro, din muzeul regional din Messina, în timpul festivităților organizate în oraș de Adormirea Maicii Domnului.
adevarul · about 2 hours ago
vier Antonello da Messinas: Was die in Messina geraubten Werke so bedeutend macht Aus dem Museum der Stadt, nach der Antonello da Messina benannt ist, sind vier seiner unendlich wertvollen Gemälde geraubt worden. Steckt wieder einmal die Mafia dahinter?
faz · about 2 hours ago
Kunstraub in Sizilien: Vier Werke von Antonello da Messina verschwunden Ein Werk von Antonello da Messina war erst kürzlich für 15 Millionen Euro angekauft worden – nun sind vier Arbeiten des Renaissance-Meisters aus einem Museum in Messina verschwunden. Die Ermittler vermuten einen gezielten Auftragsdiebstahl.
faz · about 2 hours ago
Sicilian museum hit by €80 million art theft Three works by Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina, valued at up to €80 million, were stolen from a museum in Messina, Sicily. Police are investigating the theft, which comes days after Italian authorities recovered three stolen works by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse.
france24 · about 2 hours ago
![€80m Renaissance masterpieces stolen from Sicily museum despite working alarms and guards on duty Four Renaissance masterpieces worth up to €80 million vanished from a Sicilian museum as a religious procession filled the streets […]](https://euroweeklynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Italy-art-theft-WEB-1024x576.png?type=local)
€80m Renaissance masterpieces stolen from Sicily museum despite working alarms and guards on duty Four Renaissance masterpieces worth up to €80 million vanished from a Sicilian museum as a religious procession filled the streets […]
euroweeklynews · about 2 hours ago
Vier werken van renaissancemeester Antonello da Messina gestolen uit Siciliaans museum
de volkskrant · about 3 hours ago