Four significant works by the Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina have been stolen from the MuMe museum in Messina, Sicily. The theft occurred on Saturday evening, with authorities investigating the incident. Museum director Marisa Mercurio described the stolen pieces as among Messina's most important and well-known works, calling the event a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, and the art world.
Enzo Caruso, Messina's culture councillor, emphasized the artist's importance to the region, stating that "Messina without Antonello is deprived of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance."
The heist took place around 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, reportedly carried out by at least three masked individuals. The theft coincided with the Vara procession, a local event commemorating the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The MuMe museum was closed to the public on Sunday as investigations commenced.
This incident marks the latest high-profile art theft in recent weeks. Earlier in March, Italian police recovered three artworks by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse that had been stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Parma. Five individuals were detained in connection with that theft.