Four pieces of art by Antonello da Messina, a painter from the 15th century, 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 about the theft. The stolen artworks include significant pieces by the Renaissance artist that were part of the city’s heritage and a painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago. The theft occurred on Saturday night during a national holiday in Italy, according to media reports.
Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the incident as devastating, noting that the theft occurred just before 10 p.m. She emphasized that the stolen pieces were among Antonello da Messina’s most important and renowned works, representing a significant loss for the museum, the city, the local community, and the art world.
Enzo Caruso, a local councilor overseeing culture, likened the event to a movie plot. He speculated that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million earlier in the year 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 during the 1908 earthquake in Messina, this altarpiece was the only work by the Sicilian painter that had never left his hometown.
Another artwork stolen from a secure display case was a small painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other side. This piece was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was acquired by the Sicilian Region in 2003.
The theft comes in the wake of the recovery of paintings by French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March. The stolen paintings are distinctive and may pose challenges in selling them through legitimate channels, as noted by art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson. She warned that selling such recognizable artworks could prove difficult and may lead to repercussions for the thieves involved.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, received training in Naples before returning to Messina in 1457, where he continued his artistic endeavors until 1474. The recent theft occurred shortly after Italian authorities recovered the stolen paintings by the French masters, highlighting the ongoing challenges in safeguarding valuable artworks.