Four paintings by 15th-century Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in his Sicilian hometown, Italian media reported citing a statement from the museum’s directorship. The loss of these works represents a significant blow to Italy’s cultural heritage, particularly for the city of Messina, where Antonello’s artistic legacy has been preserved.
The theft took place at the Museo Regionale di Messina during the night of August 15, a national holiday in Italy and the peak of the summer season. Thieves removed three panels from the Polittico di San Gregorio, an altarpiece originally made up of six panels, along with a smaller two-sided painting showing the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other.
Only surviving hometown works
The stolen panels were some of the last pieces by Antonello still kept in Messina. The Polittico di San Gregorio had been commissioned for a local monastery later destroyed in the 1908 earthquake. The altarpiece survived the disaster and became the only work by the Sicilian painter to have never left his hometown. The loss of three panels now leaves the remaining two in a state of incompleteness.
The fourth stolen painting, a small devotional piece, was bought by the Sicilian regional government in 2003 after being sold at Christie’s. That year, experts confirmed it was by Antonello. The painting had previously belonged to the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was attributed to Antonello da Messina in 2003. Its acquisition by the Sicilian government was seen as an opportunity to reunite a work by Antonello with his native region, where so few of his pieces remain.
A museum official said they could not provide any information about the theft or security at the time. Italian media reported the break-in was not noticed until staff arrived the next morning.
Timing raises concerns
The crime happened on August 15, a national holiday in Italy when many institutions operate with reduced staffing. Such timing has been used in other major art thefts, where holidays or large public events create opportunities for criminals.
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Earlier that week, Italian police recovered three stolen paintings by Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse from a museum near Parma. Those works had been missing since March.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples before returning to Sicily in 1457. His art combines Italian Renaissance methods with influences from Flemish and Provençal painters. During his time in Naples, Antonello was exposed to the works of artists like Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, whose use of oil paints and meticulous detail left a lasting impression on his technique.
Upon returning to Messina, Antonello established a workshop that produced altarpieces, portraits, and devotional works for local churches and private patrons. The stolen Polittico di San Gregorio panels were part of a larger narrative scene depicting saints and religious figures. The smaller two-sided painting demonstrates his adaptability in creating works for personal devotion.
Most of Antonello’s known works are now in museums outside Italy. The stolen panels were a rare link to his origins. Their removal not only deprives Messina of a connection to its most famous artist but also disrupts ongoing research into Antonello’s early career.
Police are still investigating. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of an inside job. The investigation is also examining whether the paintings were taken for ransom, private collectors, or the black market. Meanwhile, the Museo Regionale di Messina remains closed to the public as officials assess the damage.