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Messina museum heist: Four Antonello da Messina works stolen
Thieves stole four Renaissance masterpieces attributed to Antonello da Messina from the Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina (MuMe) in Sicily during the Ferragosto holiday on the night of August 15. The heist, which occurred while the city was celebrating the traditional Vara procession, involved at least three masked individuals who entered through a secondary access point.
The stolen works include three panels from the 1473 San Gregorio Polyptych and a rare double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and the Pietà, which was taken from a bulletproof display case. While two panels of the polyptych were recovered after being abandoned by the thieves near the museum's perimeter, the remaining four works remain missing.
Authorities, including the Prosecutor's Office of Messina, have launched an investigation. Sicilian President Renato Schifani indicated that the theft may have been due to human error regarding unmanaged security signals, noting that while alarms and cameras functioned, the response was insufficient. Museum director Marisa Mercurio described the event as a devastating loss for the global art community.
Entities
Alessandro Giuli · Antonello da Messina · Federico Basile · Marisa Mercurio · Messina · MuMe · Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare Maria Accascina · Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina · Polittico di San Gregorio · Renato Boccardo · Villamagina di Sellano
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 27 SOURCES] A rare bifrontal tablet depicting the Madonna and Child and Christ in Pietà was stolen from a secure case. www.diepresse.com · www.notizie.it · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.forchecaudine.com · www.italiareportusa.com · +13 more
- [● 38 SOURCES] Three of the five remaining panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated 1473, were stolen. www.diepresse.com · www.notizie.it · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.forchecaudine.com · www.italiareportusa.com · +25 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Two of the stolen paintings were found by passersby leaning against the museum's external fence. www.italianotizie24.it · cefalunews.org · www.lospecialegiornale.it
- [● 36 SOURCES] Thieves bypassed alarm systems and security measures to enter the museum. www.notizie.it · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.forchecaudine.com · www.italiareportusa.com · www.lanotteonline.it · +24 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The theft occurred while law enforcement was focused on the traditional Procession of the Vara. www.italiareportusa.com · www.lanotteonline.it · www.eldia.es · italianotizie.online · www.cbsnews.com · +4 more
- [DISPUTED] The theft occurred on the evening of August 15. www.notizie.it · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.forchecaudine.com · www.italiareportusa.com · www.lanotteonline.it · +25 more
- [● 35 SOURCES] The stolen items include three of the five panels from the Polyptych of San Gregorio. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es · www.notizie.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.italiareportusa.com · +25 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli expressed dismay and regret regarding the theft of the high-value works. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es · www.cbsnews.com · www.cnnbrasil.com.br
- [DISPUTED] Unknown individuals bypassed security systems to steal two works by Antonello da Messina. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es · www.calibre800.com · www.notizie.it · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · +10 more
- [DISPUTED] The theft occurred on the afternoon of August 15 during the Ferragosto holiday. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es
- [● 32 SOURCES] A double-sided tablet depicting the Virgin and Child was stolen from a bulletproof security display case. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es · www.notizie.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.nedeljnik.rs · +23 more
- [● 20 SOURCES] The Prosecutor's Office of Messina has opened an investigation into the theft. www.eldia.es · www.diariodemallorca.es · www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.adnkronos.com · cefalunews.org · +12 more