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[CULTURE] · Italy · 100 sources

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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

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