Antonello da Messina Works Stolen From Sicilian Museum

Four of the most important works by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen overnight on August 15 from the Museo Regionale in the Sicilian port city of Messina, according to the Guardian. The theft occurred during a national holiday, as the city held a religious celebration for the Virgin Mary, the New York Times reported.

The thieves took three panels from Antonello's Polittico di San Gregorio, depriving Messina of part of the only surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown, France 24 reported. The works were taken without alarms being triggered, raising suspicion of a professional hit, according to the BBC.