Four pieces of art by the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as confirmed by Italy’s culture minister on Sunday. Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness upon learning of the theft, highlighting the significant loss to Messina’s cultural heritage. The stolen artworks include parts of the only surviving collection by the Renaissance painter in his hometown and a painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago.
The theft occurred on a national holiday in Italy, with the museum director Marisa Mercurio describing the incident as devastating. The stolen pieces, considered among Antonello da Messina’s most important works, were taken just before 10 p.m., leaving a profound impact on the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
Local councilor Enzo Caruso noted that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million may have attracted the attention of the thieves. Three panels from an altarpiece known as “Polittico di San Gregorio” were among the stolen pieces. Originally consisting of six panels and intended for a monastery destroyed in an earthquake, this altarpiece was the only artwork by the Sicilian painter that had never left his birthplace.
In addition to the altarpiece panels, a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other was also taken from a secure display case. The stolen artwork was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was acquired by the Sicilian Region in 2003.
The theft of these valuable artworks follows the recent recovery of paintings by French masters in Italy. Art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson emphasized the challenge of selling recognizable stolen artworks through legitimate channels, highlighting the potential difficulties faced by the thieves. She mentioned that famous stolen artworks often circulate in criminal circles, serving as collateral for illicit activities.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples before returning to Messina, where he produced his renowned works until 1474. The theft took place shortly after Italian authorities recovered paintings by renowned French artists Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse that had been stolen from a museum near Parma in March.